Abandonment Issues (Vincent)

[Jesse Adams]

Jesse’s problems often stemmed from the fact that he had once had too much expected of him, and when he couldn’t perform to the level desired, he’d faced one punishment or another. Too long in that environment had somewhat ruined his desire to perform, and eventually it had hindered… everything. His lack of trying haunted him, and now he was honestly applying himself again, not for anyone but himself (and sometimes Vincent if he was brutally honest), no one really wanted to invest any sort of faith in him. Which wasn’t a surprise, exactly, but it also felt like he was constantly running into a brick wall. He’d never graduate at this rate.

Still, at least Vincent seemed to have some sort of faith in him. That was… unexpectedly nice.

“Thanks,” he mumbled, color marking his cheeks slightly. He didn’t really know what to say to that. It was so… Vincent to say something like that, and he didn’t really know how to respond to about 90% of what left his trainer’s mouth. Still. It seemed… positive. And to have even one person on his side made him feel a little better about his future.

He waited outside the door to the lounge, not expecting the inviting gesture that followed. After a moment of indecision, he followed Vincent inside and kept his head down. The last thing he needed was to get in trouble for busting into the staff lounge. At least the visit was blissfully quick. Taking the mug and the scone (which was given a suspicious look before he actually took it from Vincent), he trailed after him to exit the lounge.

Well. That was exciting. Not.

“Yeah. I looked into it a little. The University of Vermont has a course in it. But I think I’ve got to boost my grades to even look at applying.” He’d honestly only breezed over the information, but Universities tended to favor good grades. Since coming out from under his father’s thumb, he’d slacked quite a bit on his schoolwork, no longer afraid of what might happen if he ended up with a B instead of an A. It wasn’t like his grades were awful, but they could probably stand to improve.

[Vincent Meian]

The trainer was a firm believer in giving people what they needed, even if it wasn't what they wanted. Sometimes, that was advice; other times, it was a quietly helping hand. In the case of many students of his over the years, it was a no-nonsense swift kick in the rear (usually figuratively, sometimes literally). Jesse needed a firm hand that wasn't violent, and he needed to be trusted to do the right thing. It was what all of his training was about. Extending his faith in the younger man wasn't hard, especially given the turbulent couple years they had known each other. Jesse was a good kid at heart; he just needed to have the freedom to discover that again, away from those who would judge him harshly for having an opinion at all, let alone one so self-sacrificing.

After all, taking care of the underprivileged and abused was not an easy job; it took a particular breed of person to want that kind of stress in their life. Vincent merely nodded in acknowledgement of the thanks, and didn't pursue the issue. If the coloring in his student's cheeks was any indication, he wasn't exactly comfortable having his gratitude pointed out.

He did shake his head in amusement at the suspicious look, though. "Those were brought this morning by Dr. Neville," he explained wryly. "Of all the faculty in this school, I very much doubt he would be the one to set out poisoned pastries."

Good grades were definitely looked upon favorably by colleges, but they weren't everything. There was cost involved, though, and those who gave scholarships did rely heavily on grades during school to decide who would obtain their sponsorship. "That should not be difficult," Vincent replied. "You have the aptitude; ask your teachers if there are projects that you can complete that will give you a higher percentage. Colleges often look at voluntary work even more favorably than perfect grades."

[Jesse Adams]

Jesse had learned his trainer's philosophy the hard way, on several occasions. The biggest in his mind being when he had been physically dragged down to the infirmary. Yes, Vincent had been right. He'd had an awful time with strep throat. But that hadn't meant he'd liked it. Nor had he wanted to admit that Vincent was right in the first place. Overall, he was mostly okay with how Vincent treated him, though. They'd had their share of setbacks, yes, but he was now fairly comfortable with the older man. At the very least, he wasn't scared of him anymore. He knew Vincent wasn't going to strike him, and his encouragement to succeed wasn't born of selfishness or a desire to show others up.

The blond had a feeling that is his father knew of his post-secondary plans, they would be met with one hell of a resistance. His father had always wanted him to go into law school, follow his footsteps. But Jesse had exactly zero intentions of doing such a thing. If he did, his intentions would be to become a prosecutor, and fight against slimy lawyers like his father. But that was neither here nor there, because he was never going to do that. He'd rather help at the ground level, and take kids from shit situations. Let the lawyers battle it out and hope to God that they wouldn't ever see their kids again. Harsh, perhaps, but when one considered the alternative? He wasn't going to let that happen to anyone else ever again.

"I know that," he half-grumbled. Honestly he'd been inspecting it to see what kind it was, but the teasing tone made him stop and instead jam it in his mouth to bite it. Clearly not poison, Vincent.

Money wasn't exactly an issue when it came to college. Not for him. His mother had made sure of that. There was enough there to easily pay for law school, like his father had wanted. Even if he'd drained that account out of spite, he had access to other funds. ... At worst, he'd sell his Mustang. That would buy him a few semesters at least. It would hurt like hell, but if he needed to, he'd do it.

"... You really think that would work?" He wasn't so sold on the idea, but if it would help... He smirked a little and shrugged his shoulders. "If my teachers didn't die of shock."

[Vincent Meian]

Students were not an extension of himself. Period. While he would be held responsible for their actions regarding their powers (and their applications), and his teachings towards them crucial in their lives, Vincent was not in any way trying to force his lifestyle, choices, or morals onto a younger generation. For some, it worked; for others, it didn't. That was up to them to decide, and he needed to keep his nose out of it unless he was trying to figure out how to get them from their starting point to their goal.

For the record, though? He thought Jesse would make a terrible attorney.

A hint of a wry smile touched his face at the defiant chomp into the pastry. It was fun to tease people who understood that he was doing just that, and the trainer (while certainly serious very regularly) had a mischievous streak that had been dying to be let out since his military days. The expression grew slightly more pronounced at the mention of the other teachers, though. "Their expectations of you are too low, perhaps," he commented dryly. "You have much potential and drive, if only you would apply yourself."

Once again, not lecturing - just a statement on how things were, and not intended to be a guilt trip.

[Jesse Adams]

Certain other adults needed to learn that children were not mini extensions of themselves. Jesse had experienced that firsthand growing up. His successes reflected back on his father, as did his perceived failures. He knew that was why he had been pushed so hard to succeed, and when he thought about it now, he resented it. A lot. But the idea of standing up to the man still made his skin crawl, and shivers to dive down his back. That wouldn't happen for a long, long time, if ever.

Swallowing the bite of scone, which was actually surprisingly good, he eyed his trainer. He knew that look. He'd seen it before, and it wasn't often that good came of it. He was prepared to be teased again, but what followed surprised him. Well, the first part. The second? That was hardly surprising. "I apply myself," he grumbled. Most of the time. In some of his classes he'd gotten quite good at simply coasting by. Honestly it was a relief to stop pushing himself so hard. Here the worst he would get with a low grade was his average being pulled down, or having to talk to his teacher. Not a slap, not a reminder that he wasn't worth anything until he improved. It was a nice break.

"How about this. Any teacher that doesn't believe I actually want an extra credit project, I'll send your way." He wasn't serious, but it was a fun thought. Vincent could set anyone straight, he was sure.

[Vincent Meian]

Jesse could do just about anything he put his mind to, of that his trainer was sure. If he wanted to raise his grades, he could do it. If he wanted to master his powers and manage his side effects, he could do it. If he wanted to become a social worker second only to Mother Theresa... well, he'd have to work pretty hard at it, but he could at least come close.

Certainly, if he wanted to stand up to his father and put the man in his place, he could do it. Even if he needed help or time, the fact remained that it could be done.

It came as a surprise that the blonde actually decided to extend a rather trusting compromise on the subject of his grades, and the Japanese man searched his face for a moment to determine the seriousness of the question. It didn't seem like Jesse was being anything but cynical. Well, two could play at that, especially since it would help here.

"I would be happy to correct their misconceptions," Vincent replied. However, unlike Jesse (who sounded playful), the older man was softly serious without being foreboding. "You deserve a chance, however small that chance may be." And that was that. "I would suggest that you begin with a class you have an aptitude toward - you will enjoy the assignments more."

[Jesse Adams]

If Vincent had voiced that faith, Jesse wouldn't have known what to do with it. He'd always been told he could do something better, or that he couldn't do something at all, depending on what that something was. The kind of faith his trainer seemed to have in him was... new.

But one thing he was positive he couldn't do was stand the hell up to Michael Adams without tucking his tail and rolling over. He wouldn't want to, no, but it just... happened. Every. Time.

Vincent's study of him made the blond set his jaw in a minor display of stubbornness, but otherwise he didn't change his expression. If he wanted to question him, fine. It was a stupid comment anyway. There was no way he'd actually -

... Okay then.

"... You don't have to, Vincent. It was a joke. A really stupid joke." Now he was backpedaling, because he didn't want Vincent to have to do that for him. "I'm sure they'll be fine, because what's the worst that can happen? I just don't do the project, right?" This was the most talkative he'd been in a long time, but it was something he tended to do as a nervous habit. Hopefully if he talked his way out of it, Vincent would forget about it.

[Vincent Meian]

As stubborn as he could be, Vincent knew when he wasn't going to win an argument and often didn't care. Jesse wasn't someone who wanted his protection, and was willing to resist as much as possible if it was brought up. Still, it needed to be said, even if the subject was going to be dropped.

In short, the trainer merely shrugged in response and stopped scrutinizing his student nearly so heavily. He didn't confirm nor deny dropping the subject, nor whether or not his statements were truth or teasing. Instead, he stopped at the door to his office and waited. He wasn't going to forget about the conversation, but he wasn't going to push it either.

"We have some time until the end of our lesson, however I will give you the option of continuing or going to your next class," he offered. Normally, Jesse would stay until the allotted time was over, but he had tried very hard today and had done what was asked of him without fighting. So, the veteran was feeling generous. "Are you feeling well, now that you have had some time to recover?"

[Jesse Adams]

Jesse was someone who could potentially benefit from protection, but the idea of accepting it was just so... foreign. He'd dealt with things on his own for so long that having someone protect him was... nope. It wasn't going to happen. Even if it did, he wouldn't know what to do with it. Better to just not let it happen in the first place.

Pausing near the office, Jesse shifted his weight slightly as if he was taking a quick inventory of himself. His headache was starting to go, whether that was credited to the coffee or the pills, he wasn't sure, but something was working. Rolling his shoulder in a slight shrug, he looked up at Vincent. "We can continue..." If for no other reason than to re-adjust to the fact that Vincent was back. "The headache's going away." Which was great, because the last thing he wanted was to go to his next class with that going on.