AA: I'm REALLY, REALLY sorry. I just saw more sparks between Juste and Maxim than Juste and Lydie. I HAD to write something…Yes the psychiatrist is REALLY a sobered-up, less psychotic version of Dr. Baldhead from Guilty Gear. X3
-Chapter 1-
"Now just keep telling yourself how that you have as much worth as any other normal person and maybe you'll maybe able to get over this whole 'denial' la-de-da… Well, at least we'll see how it goes until our next appointment."
"Y-y-yes, doctor. Thank you doctor."
The man wandered out of the room, although it could have been arguable whether he actually walked, since every twitch seemed to move him by one inch. He had to be tied to the chair when people talked to him or else he'd fall off. The doctor waved him off with a frighteningly bright smile and sat back in his chair, glancing at the list of appointments written down. He ticked off a name and looked at the next one down. "Well, well…"
BELMONT, JUSTE
"How peculiar." The Belmont family had always seemed like a nice, sane family to him. They took pride in not being utterly mad and there was that whole vampire slaying business, but he didn't like to pry. Juste was one of Simon's offspring's offspring, wasn't he? Knew the lad's mother, nice girl but he felt a little sorry for her. She had to take care of poor Simon (The old man was getting a little demented in his golden years). He hoped it wasn't catching on to the boys.
He watched the door expectantly, moving the paper down. It creaked open on cue. A young man walked in looking more then just a little nervous. This was mainly because he had just been attacked by the strange woman in the waiting room that smelt vaguely of cats. The doctor knew her, she came frequently, poor dear lost all her children during infancy. But he suspected it may have been the fact that her husband had eaten them that had destroyed her mind.
"Come in, come in… Sit down."
Juste looked around. First at the large bookshelf complete with a great number of books on the human mind behind the psychiatrist, then at the cracked leather sofa and note book and pen the man was holding. Oh God, I'm really in a shrink's office. He thought miserably, perching on the edge of the sofa.
"There's no reason to be worried now, Mister Belmont."
"Mm…" He poked one of the holes in the leather, gazing at his boots. Why had he decided to come? What a terrible idea… He was going to have to sit around for an hour whilst some old bloke tries to poke around in his head…
"Now why are you here exactly?" The doctor cracked his knuckles, holding the quill above the paper.
Juste shifted uncomfortably. "I've been feeling a little down recently…" He could hear the pen scratching against the paper, "… Uh, you know… Since I came back with Maxim and Lydie from that castle…"
"Continue."
"And… I can't quite figure it out. I thought you could help me."
The doctor rested his elbows on the desk, steepling his fingers. It was a nice desk, made of mahogany and fancily carved. "Juste, let's go back a while…"
He groaned mentally. Here we go… Tell me about your childhood, blah, blah, blah…
"Tell me about your childhood."
He shrugged. Whatever he was going to do, he was not going to lie down on the couch like they always did and weep about some pathetic past of his. Truthfully he had, had quite a nice childhood. "I don't know. Mother and father never did anything wrong, uh… I have a brother and a younger sister… I… uh, got on with my family…" He remembered his childhood well. Most of these memories were of stealing his sister's doll and then being beaten up by his brother and running off with Maxim and Lydie so he could complain and feel even worse because even Lydie could climb a tree when he couldn't. And she was a girl.
"Who were your friends?"
Stupid question. "Maxim and Lydie of course!"
The doctor nodded. He remembered them all hanging around together when they were about ten. "And you still get on with them?" Juste nodded. "Good. Well…" He shuffled through some papers, peering over the top of his glasses, "… Has anything happened recently to upset you?" Stupid question number two, but it was necessary.
"Yes, I guess… Lydie was kidnapped and Maxim and I had to save her and then Maxim got taken over by Dracula's soul and it was really weird and…"
The usual for the Belmont family then…
"… And then we all came home."
"Hmm… Tell me about your relationship with Lydie."
Juste shrugged again. "We're friends. I mean, we've known each other since we were children and she's always been there for me. Well… Apart from when she was kidnapped and all that, she couldn't really be there for…" He trailed off, realising how irrelevant he was being.
"And, Maxim?"
Juste paused. "We're good friends." He said sharply, folding his arms and leaning against the back of the sofa. He looked distracted, pretending to be examining his gloves.
"Ah-ha. Has he done anything to annoy you?"
"What do you mean, 'ah-ha'! He hasn't done anything!" He frowned.
The doctor smiled thinly. "Okay then, what hasn't he done?" There was a long silence, in which the relic hunter shot him a foul look and fiddled with his hair. The doctor nodded. This was a break through. He was starting to suspect something here. "Do you love Lydie, Juste?"
Juste looked genuinely shocked, sitting bolt up right and giving him a look of pure astonishment, "Good lord, no, she's a friend. I can't imagine her as anything else!" He laughed shakily, shaking his pale head.
"Okay then. That's one possibility off the list…"
"I'm happy for her." He said simply.
"Why are you happy for her?"
"Haven't you heard? Maxim proposed to her." He sounded oddly regretful, poking his finger in one of the holes in the leather. "She's still thinking about it."
That was probably one of the most significant things he'd said since they began. "How do you feel about it, Juste?"
He didn't say anything for a second, drawing one knee up to his chest and resting his chin on it. He was obviously thinking hard about it. "I'm happy for her." He repeated eventually.
"What about Maxim?"
"What about Maxim? He's… going to be happy."
"You keep saying they're going to be happy but what about you, hmm? You don't seem comfortable with it at all."
"Of course I am!"
"You answered that a tad too quickly. The truth please, Juste."
He knew. He could tell, he may as well word it for him. Juste took a deep breath, "I'm not happy at all! I hate Lydie for even considering saying yes and I hate Maxim even more for what he's doing to me and for asking her in the first place! I hate them both!" He breathed out, pulling up his other knee and staring in his lap, forehead on his knees. "They're meant to be my friends." He muttered.
"What's Maxim doing to you? Has he hurt you?"
"Yes."
The doctor didn't say anything, hoping he would continue of his own accord. He found too much provocation didn't help in these matters. If it wasn't forced out of him then maybe it would be a little more from the heart. He had a hunch that that was where everything was coming from.
"… He barely even notices me when we're with Lydie. I saw it whilst we were walking back. He just doesn't…"
"You want him to notice you?"
"For goodness sake, yes I want him to notice me! Haven't you been listening!" Juste snapped, glaring at him, "I was so worried about him whilst I was traipsing around in that stupid, bloody castle! I… I… I can't stand how he still only sees me as just a-" He stopped himself, turning away looking embarrassed and sounding strangely subdued. "I'm sorry… I don't know what came over me."
"Just a friend? Is that what you were going to say?" The other nodded. "I think you should tell me exactly how long you've been in love with Maxim."
Juste shrugged. "I don't know. Since just before he went away on that training expedition two years back." He smiled dryly, looking tired. "Pretty stupid of me, eh?"
"Not at all, it's perfectly natural." He coughed, putting the paper down. "Have you tried actually telling him?"
He snorted. "Please."
"Honestly though, you never know."
"If he liked me back, he wouldn't have proposed to Lydie."
The doctor wasn't sure what to say for once, so he looked at his pocket watch instead. "Goodness the hour's almost up."
Juste looked relieved and got up. It hadn't made him feel any better, on the contrary it had made him feel a great deal worse. "I… Had better get going."
"Promise me you'll talk to Maxim? It'll help, you know."
Juste didn't say anything, just smiled and shrugged. "Thank you… I'm sure… I'll find this helped in some way later." Oh well, he had to sound grateful, just to be polite.
The doctor watched him leave. He felt sorry for him, but then again, he also felt sorry for the cat-reeking nervous wreck stumbling in. He was sure the Belmont would sort things out eventually. They always did, it was in the blood.