My schedule is largely open at present. Barring any quesets that I end up undertaking, any time that is convenient for you will likely work for me as well.
That sounds perfect. My schedule may not be cluttered at the moment, but considering how eventful things seem to be here, I appreciate your flexibility, Dr. Maruki.
[ Mitsuru had attended therapy sessions before, but they had been arranged by her parents and she was years removed from them.
[ However, after the turbulence of the past year ... and the past few days ...?
[ She knows that she has a tendency to close herself off in such circumstances, and she's learned that that response is neither healthy nor productive. Speaking to someone about the feelings that she's attempting to disentangle - particularly someone who is trained to offer counselling - is a good thing.
[ ... Even if she's still struggling to understand those feelings, much less put them into words.
[ Especially in those circumstances.
[ So, despite persistent reticence over the course of the week, when Wednesday arrives, she walks into Maruki's offices a few minutes ahead of her appointment. ]
( when she arrives, Maruki has to stifle that curiosity which — understandably — burns within him to immediately ask about her name. with so many universes colliding here, it could easily be coincidence, but he's already aware that people associated with personas and the metaverse who aren't the phantom thieves are here, so the chance is certainly greater than zero.
but he's bungled therapy sessions before by being a bit too pushy about questions (he's still kicking himself about Sakamoto-kun's, even if it all ended the way he needed it to) so that curiosity will have to wait until he's gauged her mood and willingness to talk about things first. it doesn't matter if he finds out now or at the end of the session, ultimately. )
Ah, Kirijo-san, correct?
( he opens the door separating the office and the reception, and smiles. ) Come on in.
( as standard, as Shujin helped him understand, his office is relaxed, with a small couch and cosy armchair, as well as a side table that hosts some snacks. today's offerings are a small box of doughnuts. the bookshelves haven't been completely filled yet, but given the circumstances, that's understandable, right? )
Make yourself comfortable and feel free to have a doughnut.
[ She offers a polite bow of her head and an equally polite smile in return.
[ Mitsuru steps inside when invited, taking a brief moment to survey her surroundings. The room is a bit bare, perhaps, but it still creates the relaxed, comfortable atmosphere that she'd expect to find within a therapist's office.
[ Still, as she politely declines a donut with a small shake of her head and takes a seat on the couch she seems ... stiff. ]
( well, that's fine. they're still there if she changes her mind. as for Maruki, he settles into the armchair and grabs his clipboard, already equipped with a new piece of paper for any notes he needs to take. )
Of course. I suppose I should start by giving you the explanation of how my sessions work.
( and so he does, launching into an explanation of how his sessions are based around talking, how she can bring up any topic she'd like, no matter how unrelated to the reason for her seeking therapy it is. if necessary, he might require her to carry out "homework" — little tasks that will help with the progress of her sessions. and, of course, that everything is confidential and that there are enchantments that ensure this place is soundproofed and the windows are obscured from the outside.
all in all, it's a pretty standard rundown, bar the magic features. )
[ She listens intently, nodding along at each point he brings up. It was, as he said, fairly standard - at least based on her limited experience.
[ Now, all that's left to do was ... talk.
[ She could start with something innocuous, she supposes. Establish a rapport so that she feels more comfortable delving into the weightier topics that she came here to discuss ...
[ Prudent as it might be, she's hesitant to take that approach. Partially, it's because she's paying for this appointment and doesn't wish to waste her money or time -- or Doctor Maruki's time for that matter, though she's certain that he would assure her that she's doing nothing of the sort.
[ The larger part of it, though, is that she's spent the past few weeks with this pall hanging over her, coloring her interactions with Kotone and the rest of their teammates.
[ Kotone's presence should be a balm. It shouldn't upset her, and the fact that it did left her feeling ...
[ She just ... she wants to be rid of this disquiet. The sooner the better.
[ So Mitsuru falls silent again, and spends a moment collecting herself and mustering the will to voice her thoughts. After a few seconds: ]
I've ... lost two people who were very dear to me over the course of the past year.
( everyone has different approaches to this. it's one of the basic points of any class you take on becoming a counsellor. for every time you need to prompt and coax a patient to the topic they want to discuss, you'll find someone who dives straight into it.
it's simply a case of individual differences, and he's learned to embrace that. to be more gentle with his questions (ugh, that attempt at bonding with Ryuji... he very well could have made things worse, but he got the information he needed, so it all worked out) and wait out the silences a little bit longer.
so, when Kirijo-san starts, there's a certain relief which mingles with the pain of her simple statement. such a universal, terrible thing. )
I see. My condolences to you. ( though the words themselves are simple, almost trite, Maruki speaks with a genuine warmth, a compassion that bleeds through in the way his brows knit together and the tone of his voice. ) ... Would you be willing to tell me more about that?
[ That compassion doesn't go unnoticed, and Mitsuru accepts his kind words with a small - if melancholic - smile, and a slight bow of thanks. ]
Of course ... my father passed away towards the end of last year after a sudden illness.
[ A lie. One that she's grown quite accustomed to telling since her father's passing ...
[ Perhaps relaying the 'official' explanation of her father's death in this context wasn't necessary or wise, but explaining the events of the past year to those who didn't already understand the more esoteric aspects was a lengthy and complicated endeavor. Exploring these matters was likely to be long and emotionally exhausting already without factoring in such an explanation of the circumstances. ]
For some time after his death, it was difficult to feel anything but his absence. However, I was fortunate enough to be surrounded by friends, and thanks to their intervention, I was eventually able to lift myself from that apathy.
[ And here, once again, she pauses. ]
And several months after that, one of those friends ... one of the people I was closest to, passed away as well.
[ Mitsuru swallows, trying to wet her suddenly dry throat. Her father's death still haunted her, but time and catharsis had started to dull that pain. Kotone's death was a more recent and protracted thing, and as such the wound was still raw. ]
She ... had been wasting away for some time, but she never told any of us. To try and shield us from that pain, I think.
( the sudden death of a parent is a hard thing at any age, but particularly when you're so young. he's reminded of Okumura-san's incredibly public loss of her father, and how hard that must have been for her. the brave face she needed to put on in order to get through everything with the business side of things.
it's a shame it happened to close to the end of his tenure at Shujin, but he's learned what he needed to learn in order to make life better for her. when he gets home, he can do that.
for now, what he needs to concentrate on is the young woman before him and her problems, which are just as heart-achingly awful in their own way. )
I see. That's not an uncommon reaction in people dealing with terminal illness. ( sadly, he understands it all too well. if he were in that place... well, talking about it would be difficult at best. ) But for the people left behind... I'm sure I don't need to tell you.
( and, to fall back on an old therapist staple: ) Would you like to share how that made you feel?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2021-06-15 12:26 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-06-17 09:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-06-18 02:24 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-06-24 08:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-07-05 09:30 pm (UTC)[ That ... wasn't true, strictly speaking.
[ Mitsuru had attended therapy sessions before, but they had been arranged by her parents and she was years removed from them.
[ However, after the turbulence of the past year ... and the past few days ...?
[ She knows that she has a tendency to close herself off in such circumstances, and she's learned that that response is neither healthy nor productive. Speaking to someone about the feelings that she's attempting to disentangle - particularly someone who is trained to offer counselling - is a good thing.
[ ... Even if she's still struggling to understand those feelings, much less put them into words.
[ Especially in those circumstances.
[ So, despite persistent reticence over the course of the week, when Wednesday arrives, she walks into Maruki's offices a few minutes ahead of her appointment. ]
no subject
Date: 2021-07-20 09:15 pm (UTC)but he's bungled therapy sessions before by being a bit too pushy about questions (he's still kicking himself about Sakamoto-kun's, even if it all ended the way he needed it to) so that curiosity will have to wait until he's gauged her mood and willingness to talk about things first. it doesn't matter if he finds out now or at the end of the session, ultimately. )
Ah, Kirijo-san, correct?
( he opens the door separating the office and the reception, and smiles. ) Come on in.
( as standard, as Shujin helped him understand, his office is relaxed, with a small couch and cosy armchair, as well as a side table that hosts some snacks. today's offerings are a small box of doughnuts. the bookshelves haven't been completely filled yet, but given the circumstances, that's understandable, right? )
Make yourself comfortable and feel free to have a doughnut.
no subject
Date: 2021-07-30 04:18 am (UTC)[ She offers a polite bow of her head and an equally polite smile in return.
[ Mitsuru steps inside when invited, taking a brief moment to survey her surroundings. The room is a bit bare, perhaps, but it still creates the relaxed, comfortable atmosphere that she'd expect to find within a therapist's office.
[ Still, as she politely declines a donut with a small shake of her head and takes a seat on the couch she seems ... stiff. ]
Thank you for agreeing to see me, Doctor.
no subject
Date: 2021-08-11 08:49 pm (UTC)Of course. I suppose I should start by giving you the explanation of how my sessions work.
( and so he does, launching into an explanation of how his sessions are based around talking, how she can bring up any topic she'd like, no matter how unrelated to the reason for her seeking therapy it is. if necessary, he might require her to carry out "homework" — little tasks that will help with the progress of her sessions. and, of course, that everything is confidential and that there are enchantments that ensure this place is soundproofed and the windows are obscured from the outside.
all in all, it's a pretty standard rundown, bar the magic features. )
no subject
Date: 2021-08-23 11:06 pm (UTC)[ She listens intently, nodding along at each point he brings up. It was, as he said, fairly standard - at least based on her limited experience.
[ Now, all that's left to do was ... talk.
[ She could start with something innocuous, she supposes. Establish a rapport so that she feels more comfortable delving into the weightier topics that she came here to discuss ...
[ Prudent as it might be, she's hesitant to take that approach. Partially, it's because she's paying for this appointment and doesn't wish to waste her money or time -- or Doctor Maruki's time for that matter, though she's certain that he would assure her that she's doing nothing of the sort.
[ The larger part of it, though, is that she's spent the past few weeks with this pall hanging over her, coloring her interactions with Kotone and the rest of their teammates.
[ Kotone's presence should be a balm. It shouldn't upset her, and the fact that it did left her feeling ...
[ She just ... she wants to be rid of this disquiet. The sooner the better.
[ So Mitsuru falls silent again, and spends a moment collecting herself and mustering the will to voice her thoughts. After a few seconds: ]
I've ... lost two people who were very dear to me over the course of the past year.
no subject
Date: 2021-08-27 06:57 pm (UTC)it's simply a case of individual differences, and he's learned to embrace that. to be more gentle with his questions (ugh, that attempt at bonding with Ryuji... he very well could have made things worse, but he got the information he needed, so it all worked out) and wait out the silences a little bit longer.
so, when Kirijo-san starts, there's a certain relief which mingles with the pain of her simple statement. such a universal, terrible thing. )
I see. My condolences to you. ( though the words themselves are simple, almost trite, Maruki speaks with a genuine warmth, a compassion that bleeds through in the way his brows knit together and the tone of his voice. ) ... Would you be willing to tell me more about that?
no subject
Date: 2021-08-27 08:38 pm (UTC)Of course ... my father passed away towards the end of last year after a sudden illness.
[ A lie. One that she's grown quite accustomed to telling since her father's passing ...
[ Perhaps relaying the 'official' explanation of her father's death in this context wasn't necessary or wise, but explaining the events of the past year to those who didn't already understand the more esoteric aspects was a lengthy and complicated endeavor. Exploring these matters was likely to be long and emotionally exhausting already without factoring in such an explanation of the circumstances. ]
For some time after his death, it was difficult to feel anything but his absence. However, I was fortunate enough to be surrounded by friends, and thanks to their intervention, I was eventually able to lift myself from that apathy.
[ And here, once again, she pauses. ]
And several months after that, one of those friends ... one of the people I was closest to, passed away as well.
[ Mitsuru swallows, trying to wet her suddenly dry throat. Her father's death still haunted her, but time and catharsis had started to dull that pain. Kotone's death was a more recent and protracted thing, and as such the wound was still raw. ]
She ... had been wasting away for some time, but she never told any of us. To try and shield us from that pain, I think.
no subject
Date: 2021-09-10 07:47 pm (UTC)it's a shame it happened to close to the end of his tenure at Shujin, but he's learned what he needed to learn in order to make life better for her. when he gets home, he can do that.
for now, what he needs to concentrate on is the young woman before him and her problems, which are just as heart-achingly awful in their own way. )
I see. That's not an uncommon reaction in people dealing with terminal illness. ( sadly, he understands it all too well. if he were in that place... well, talking about it would be difficult at best. ) But for the people left behind... I'm sure I don't need to tell you.
( and, to fall back on an old therapist staple: ) Would you like to share how that made you feel?