2025-07-23: Unsuitable for Rehabilitation
- Log: Unsuitable for Rehabilitation
- Cast: Tsubasa Seki, Julian Marlowe
- Where: Kasugayama - Counsellor's Closet
- OOC Date: 2025-07-23
- IC Date: Thursday, June 14 2012
- Summary: Julian stumbles over a student in desperate need of assistance, only to be floored by how deep that need goes. But Tsubasa struggled to tell him at all, and they run away before he can figure out what to do. Was a student like this just going to exist at the fringes of Kasugayama until it wasn't the school's problem...?
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
Tsubaki Seki is a female student on Kasugayama's system. The notes on her file suggest she is "violent and disruptive to fellow students" ... "unresponsive to own name, insisting on the name 'Tsubasa'" ... "flaunts the uniform code daily" ... "of high intellect but not suitable for the academic environment" ... "generally lazy and unpleasant in demeanour" ... "claims to have gender identity disorder, nil supporting evidence on file" ... "living in own accommodation" ... "skips classes frequently" ... "unsuitable for rehabilitation" ... "an inappropriate use of staff resources". Their crimes are logged on file -- she was convicted of arson a few years ago, setting an office in City Hall on fire. Because she was still inside the office at the time of the incident and suffered heavy injuries, she was excused by way of insanity; her probation has officially ended, but the school remains aware of her violent history. The general attitude of her file is that she's being held here until she turns eighteen, at which point the obligations of the state are exhausted and they can be rid of her.
If Tsubasa knew their file looked like that, they'd be upset, but students don't get to see their own files. No one told Julian that they had to keep throwing them in detention; when he popped into a classroom after school to speak to his fellow teacher about something, she just mentioned, acerbic, that this student was wasting her time again and she'd be able to chase up the grading review later.
That waste of time is sitting with arms and legs are folded tightly across each other, staring doggedly at the front of the room, pretending they couldn't hear her whispering over there. One realisation and a short change of plans later --
And Tsubasa's sitting in Julian's office, instead, in much the same closed-off and tense stance. "Whaddya want," they issue, flatly, when it's actually appropriate to speak to him. Their voice sounds like it's been dragged through gravel, rough and gruff, but it's unlikely they have an issue with smoking -- and not just because the Death Boss forbids it on campus. No... the smoke damage must have come from a much more dire source, for them.
They're clearly a tough nut to crack.
<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
This is generally how it's been going for Julian Marlowe's career at Kasu High. He was intended to be there to help with just the students venting their frustration. The teachers, as it turns out, are generally more eager to do that of their own volition. Which is very helpful - it serves as a roundabout way to learn of students who may benefit from his assistance. It's been helping his image with the faculty - taking problems off their hands that they don't want to deal with - and in so doing, learns of more and more names to add to The List.
He'd heard of Tsubasa Seki before. But that file... that file was frankly intimidating, having him wonder whether he was qualified enough to handle this one. However, it's not that there was ever any choice. This isn't just his job, it's his calling. These students often have a flat zero in the way of adult support that they can turn to. It's not right. And so, he was all too happy to, ostensibly, do his fellow educator a solid by taking a problem case off her hands. He'll just have to deal with it being unclear to Tsubasa why he's doing this until he can get them back to...
The Guidance Office! Or, as it used to be known before the start of this school year, That Storage Closet at the End of the Hall. It's a cramped space, but Julian's made the most of it, with his desk that one can barely squeeze behind at the far end, and the rest dominated by a round table with a simple chair on either end. This is where the magic happens. The magic... of counseling.
The only thing on the table right now, placed off to the side, is a multi-tiered snack tray, with way too many lemon scones stacked on top of its plateaus. Other than that, well... he's tried his best to make the office look pleasant, which apparently meant faux-grass carpeting, with the walls and even the ceiling painted a sky blue. Why, you'd almost forget you were indoors! Maybe. If you squint a bit. Look, his heart was in the right place.
He's been perfectly calm on the way here, smiling an easy, relaxed smile the entire time. He's still smiling now. He's not uncomfortable in their presence, and he wants them to know that. ...Maybe using actual words will work better for that. He finally breaks his silence when so prompted, sitting across from the... colorful student.
"You looked like you wanted to be anywhere else, back there. So I brought you somewhere else. Should I not have?" He motions for the snack tray. "Scone?"
He expects an 'are you serious' look for that, but yes, he in fact quite serious. The topic he seeks to break the ice with is likewise chosen with a certain level of calculation, attempting to put them more at ease.
"I'd offer tea as well, but ah... it appears someone has stolen my porcelein tea set. That's egg on my face, I should have listened to your Boss when she warned me something like that could happen."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
More like the magic of turning them into sardines, old man.
(Julian's over twenty. That officially makes him old.)
Tsubasa cuts an intimidating presence, with their bleached and dyed multicoloured hair (which, if Julian scrutinises them thoroughly, he might realise is a wig) and their deep tan so fake they've become a dark orange. It can't entirely hide their scars, though their efforts to hide them are also inconsistent -- the bottom half of their (boy's) shirt is unbuttoned and tied over their belly, exposing bruises which surely must be from old fights. They wear their pants a little too low for comfort, too, and roll their sleeves up far too much.
... so why the fuck isn't it working on him?! THEY WORKED SO HARD ON LOOKING COOL!
Tsubasa scowls to his smile, silent for long moments. "Already did this song and dance," they say, behind grit teeth. "You wanna ring my psych? He'll tell you I'm crazy, already."
They pull their wallet out and chuck a dog-eared card across the table, roughly. It's for one Dr. Denji Inoue -- a psychiatrist, he might note. It's not surprising to know that they're in contact with one, but...
... what kind of medical professional leaves a kid with the impression they're 'crazy'?
Having left that for him, they snatch up a scone while they're leant forward, thudding back in their seat with it as they glare over it towards him.
"Ch, yeah," they click their teeth, and chomp the scone, when he mentions that egg on his face. "Serves ya right. You're just givin' coins to cats." Julian may or may not recognise the idiom, neko ni koban, the idea that cats have no use for gold coins... but it's not that different from casting pearls before swine, really.
They scowl at their scone, and then back up to Julian, again. "So, what? You drag the Boss in here too? I ain't rattin', so don't even ask."
<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
Old... that one would hurt. Please don't hurt Julian, he's nice.
Maybe too nice for his own good, if he doesn't appear to understand that he's supposed to be extremely intimidated right about now. Or least find something remarkable about the person across from him. But no, that's not his way, especially not in cases such as this, where being treated like a normal person is likely not what they're used to. So he's going to do just that, in hopes of being the breath of fresh air they need. As sad as it is that this much could already count as such.
"No thank you," he replies evenly to the matter of phoning a colleague, barely even glancing at the card before sliding it back across the table. "Doesn't sound like a very good psych to me." He doesn't want to talk to anyone who got this level of non-results. He'd never put the blame for that on the patient, so it's obvious where it must be assigned instead.
Julian inclines his head to denote a level of agreement with the expression. "Perhaps so. But it's no bother, I will look into a cheaper alternative." Tea is not wasted on anybody. He'll get as many replacements as it takes, it's fine as long as it doesn't turn into a huge expense. Besides, he's managed to get some support among the student body, and hopes to increase that with time. The Death Boss and Thorn Boss both seem to mind him less than the average teacher, it's a good start. He'll become known as the Cool Teacher yet, mark his words.
And that's not for any nefarious reasons, either. He looks genuinely shocked by the mere suggestion. "Perish the thought. Everything you say in my office will be kept in strict confidence." He blinks, realizing. "...That is to say... personal matters. The matter of the tea set is, well, that was about me, not her, wasn't it?"
Way to be professional. More like a professional doofus. Is he really a psychologist??
Julian absolutely wouldn't mind if he gives off that impression. He was not at all surprised to hear that Tsubasa was familiar with this 'song and dance' already. The last thing he needs is for this to appear at all similar to whatever the experience was like before. A more casual atmosphere works wonders for that, in his estimation.
"I'm just here to listen, to whatever you wish to tell me. Perhaps offer advice, if I can. Which... I will freely admit, I may be a bit out of my depth regarding your particular circumstances. But I would like to come to understand more than I do right now, if you're open to that, Tsubasa-san."
He's forgoing his usual mode of address with them, figuring it must be important to hear the address by that name, rather than what's on file. It's a start, he hopes, towards building trust.
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"Whatever," Tsubasa grumbles, though Julian might note the way they grab the card and return it to their wallet.
They grunt, when he says he'll just get something cheaper, and lean forward to steal another scone. If they're here, they're at least gonna eat.
(They don't look like they eat enough.)
"Ch," they scoff, again, turning their head away. "As if. Last time I told one of you shit, it turned up in court." It's not very respectful to swear in front of an adult, but they're stuck here.
And so they fold their arms, again, and glare at him, dead silent for a full minute. Two minutes, and their fingers start drumming against their bare arms. Three...
"What's the point?" They issue, finally. "I told a cop, and he couldn't wait to get rid of me. No one gives a shit. You all just think I'm a no-good punk... shit, you ain't wrong. But I been here before. I tell you the numbers don't add up 'til I'm fuckin' blue in the face, and no one believes me. I tell you he's fuckin' with me, and you just tell me how I'm stressin' him out."
'Him'...?
"You wanna understand me?" Tsubasa scoffs, again. "Then understand I'm just puttin' up with your shit 'til I can get outta here and let my dog out."
They really... have no trust whatsoever for the teachers here, do they? No... not just their teachers. Anyone in authority must be their enemy, in their eyes, at this point.
<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
Julian will not say one word regarding the amount of scones that are taken. They're there to be taken - preferably by the people he invites. But ever since the theft of his expensive tea set, he may have been periodically leaving his office door unlocked, and a number of scones out on the table. Though he may no longer keep anything particularly valuable or sensitive in there, it's almost like he's inviting more theft...
But that's neither here nor there. For now, he just calmly lets Tsubasa swear at him, raising his arms in a shrug. "If I were to speak of personal matters that were shared with me in a professional capacity with anyone but the one who shared them in the first place, I would lose my job. If nothing else, certainly it's not hard to believe that I don't want that to happen. I just got here!" ...He looks kind of expectant after that. Is... is he expecting laughter or something?
Looking at how calm and composed he remains in the face of a silent staredown, perhaps it may begin to dawn on Tsubasa that... this guy is different from the average teacher overseeing detention. He doesn't feel like he's stuck here with them. But they sure are stuck here with him. Door's not locked or anything, but if they're waiting to be given official leave... Julian seems content to just sit there, to wait and see what happens. In his experience, nobody, absolutely nobody, truly wants to keep silent about what bothers them. It's just that they may not want to tell him. You can't force that sort of thing. It's best if it just... happens organically.
That's... more or less what happens. The immediate frustrations are as clear as they ever have been - nobody ever listens. Everyone has their prejudices. The first order of business has to be to make it clear that he's different. An uphill battle, for sure. But one he's willing to fight.
"That's an awful lot of assumptions, Tsubasa-san... not that I blame you." As calm as ever, he fishes a piece of cloth out of his breast pocket and takes the monocle out of his left eye, calmly wiping it off as he continues. "You stand out, in many ways. In so doing, you open yourself up for many possible points of attack from the prejudiced. I'd say your path isn't an easy one - but it was never truly your choice, was it? You can't help who you are. And fate can be cruel, placing you into positions you never wanted to be in, through no fault of your own. While I may not fully understand all the details..."
Julian places the monocle and the cloth down on the table, the look in his steel blue eyes softly burning with subtle intensity. His tone, too, sharpens considerably.
"I understand that you would think I'm here to try and 'reform' you. That like all the others, all I want to do is to reprimand you for your delinquent behavior and attempt to change your path. So let me assure you. My only wish is for you to thrive, to succeed in life, following whichever path is right for you. I swear to you that this is the truth. And that, if I should ever fail to uphold these principles, I will resign my position immediately."
'Look me in the eyes and tell me I'm lying,' that look almost dares, knowing there's not a drop of insincerity to be found there.
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
Tsubasa's not above theft. Just better hope he's not in when they slink in later to steal his snacks. That's a a trap(???) for later, though. Now:
They don't laugh. "Funny joke," they say, instead, straight-faced. "But I know I'm more replaceable than you. Always was."
Jiiiiii...
They didn't comment on his monocle. Maybe it would be hypocritical for them to call it out, when they're so visually weird. He talks about how they stand out, though, and their fingers drum harder on their arms.
Somehow, it wouldn't feel decent to look away from him while he's saying all this shit, though. It's not like he doesn't sound genuine. Looks like he believes it. Their lips curl over their teeth, baring them in an act of aggression that they don't think is blatantly defensive.
"Like shit anyone would do that for me," they grumble, because they've never once backed down from a dare. "You're probably just looking for a reason to get outta here, right? Shit..."
They break their own staring contest, looking down at their elbow, where their hand's grasping tightly. "Ain't no path right for me now," they mutter, downcast. "You don't come back from burnin' down government property. Shit. Still my father's problem, he don't want me, sure as shit ain't gettin' a fuckin' husband... the fuck am I gonna succeed? Nothin' I can do."
Their arms tighten, around their bruised belly. "Talked to this woman, she said your folks come around sometimes, but fuck, she was like, I don't know, forty? Easy to say they get used to you when you're on an even playin' field. How am I supposed to make him happy when I'm such a little fucking reject, huh? It's not gonna happen!" And their voice peaks with their distress, and it would be easy to say they're just yelling at him, like the punk they are.
<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
It's not a contest of replaceability, Julian wants to rebut, but he bites his tongue. Making things into an argument is never helpful. ...He does need to work on his jokes, though, he'll own up to that one.
He also would about having old-fashioned tastes, such as the monocle. Still not old himself! He just thinks British tradition is neat. If the whole 'tea and scones' thing wasn't enough of a giveaway.
Even so... the one thing that he cannot accept is being put on the same level of those types of people. He'll take what little wins he can get - not being too severely challenged on that is plenty to satisfy him, prompting his smile to return as he returns the monocle to its proper perch.
"I applied for this job, didn't I? I could have sought a similar form of employment anywhere, but Kasugayama was in fact my first choice." He wouldn't blame Tsubasa - or anyone else - for not buying that one. Even his co-workers think there must be something wrong with him, if they believe it at all. But that, too, is the truth.
He sobers, then, as Tsubasa begins to speak of their actual concerns. Feeling trapped by an unfortunate series of circumstances... surely someone like him could have no idea how that feels. There's no melancholy in his expression at all for a moment there, you're imagining it.
"...You are correct," he finally starts, "In that a solution is not so easy as adults may claim. You may have already been told things such as... Parental authority legally ends when a child turns 20. At that point, you'll be able to make legal decisions on your own - they will no longer have the right to decide where you live, manage your life in any way, or make decisions about your education and career path. ...Fat load of good that does you right now, huh?"
What a turn of phrase from the normally so proper-speaking teacher. Well-meant, as is everything he said - regardless of everything, he still felt it important to say these things. Any small source of hope for the future should be grasped, at times like this.
More pressingly, there's something else he caught on to. "Forgive me if saying so is hurtful to you in any way, but... you are repeating your father's words as if you were agreeing that his wishes are at all reasonable, and making him happy should be your priority. I don't know if it does you any good to hear this from me, but, in all honesty... I do not believe that the fault lies with you in any way. Any parent who would seek to put their child on a path they clearly don't wish to follow is, quite simply, a bad parent."
This is actually the hardest it's been yet for Julian to stay calm. There's a lot of anger simmering beneath the surface right now... not directed at Tsubasa, but on their behalf. This is exactly the sort of thing he wishes he could act against more directly. But anger right now would likely be misinterpreted... and he'd never forgive himself for making promises he could end up unable to keep. Is this really all the support he can offer...?
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
He wanted to be here? "Pretty stupid," Tsubasa remarks. Who would want to help them?
"You say that like it's a light at the end of the tunnel," Tsubasa snorts, when Julian brings up parental authority. "But the light's a fuckin' train, man. Only reason I got a roof over my head's because my father got shamed into givin' a shit... better believe he's gonna act like I'm dead soon as Officer Shimizu can't get on his case no more." Tsubasa isn't entirely sure whether Reiko will even give a shit herself once they're an adult, but... "'Sides, once I'm twenty, they're tryin' me as an adult. One wrong move and I'm in jail... prob'ly gonna be in and out of that 'til I die and get outta everyone's hair."
... for some reason, Julian's figured out that their father isn't very nice. Tsubasa can't imagine why.
"What do you know about my father?" They grouse, as if it wasn't obvious. "Ugh, look... the Boss would say shit like that, I guess. 'It's not your fault', whatever. But of course it's my fuckin' fault. Like -- when I split from that bastard Yasuda," not a familiar name at this school, "my father didn't give a shit that he'd hit me. Like puttin' up with that's what a girl's supposed to do." Their voice chokes up, but they keep on talking. "He was just mad I was bindin' on top of doin' all this clown shit, mad I was upsettin' my mother... you know I had to stay with a cop after he tossed me out? Woulda been on the streets if she hadn't. Gonna be when he don't gotta give a shit no more." They rub at their eyes, trying to scrub the tears out. "Like, fuck, what do you know about your whole damn life bein' an inconvenience?"
They stand, their chair scraping in the small space. "Shit," they sniff, "I'm outta here. There's no fuckin' point." And they run out, without another word.
Stupid therapy office and stupid talking about feelings and stupid leaky face!
<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
Well, nobody claimed Julian's choices have all been smart. Still, he stands by this one, just letting out a chuckle at his own expense.
There's not so much to laugh anymore from hearing just how deep the despair here goes. As he feared, they need far more extensive and direct help than he's capable of supplying. ...Above board, that is. That urge to take more drastic action behind the scenes, always present in the back of his mind, is practically screaming at him.
Looking at things objectively, the self-blame issue is obviously most pressing to tackle. Nothing can begin to be improved until the one involved can actually believe they deserve better. That's what counselors are supposed to do, keep an objective viewpoint at emotional distance.
...What kind of monster would you have to be, to be able to push back your feelings when you see someone is suffering this much? And what kind of guidance counselor is he supposed to be, when he feels so overwhelmed by it that he can't get his thoughts in order at all, let alone formulate a helpful response.
It's only after Tsubasa stands that he finally manages, "Tsubasa--" not even getting the honorific out before they storm off. Left alone in his office, Julian takes a deep breath, balling his fists. "Damnation," he mutters under his breath.
Though the world has many unspeakable things hidden beneath the surface, it still feels as if it's at its most rotten right in plain sight. It's no surprise that revenge appears to be such a common element in that hidden world... when things look this hopeless, could anyone truly be blamed wanting to fix it through any means necessary...?