#counselling

Chapter 1

Darling

My maid, Adeline, brushes my hair with a gentle hand while the pianist plays a delicate song somewhere below, the melody rising to my chambers and caressing my ears gently as I stare at myself in the mirror, another image is reflected back to me. My platinum hair catches the light from the gleaming sun streaming through the iridescent arched windows, I tug lightly at one of the thick, spring-like ringlets framing my face, watching it snap back into its rigid, perfect shape. Crimson eyes, intimidating and framed with long silver eyelashes, glare back at me from the shiny reflection. My eyebrows are thin and arched, befitting my face, but they are also commanding, furrowed in impatience as I wait for Adeline to finish.  

“All done, my lady,” Adeline remarks.

I step away from my vanity and Adeline quickly rushes over to help me into my formal visiting gown. I step patiently into the center of the room as she buckles the canvas straps of my hooped crinoline around my waist, watching the metal cage expand into its dramatic, wide silhouette. Another torturous ten minutes pass as she tugs, smooths, and fastens the massive brocade skirt over the frame. By the time she finishes, I occupy nearly half the dressing room, a perfect porcelain doll built for a grim destination.

“I’ll set out at one. There’s no need to get the carriage—it doesn’t look like it’s going to rain, Adeline,” I say, glancing at her, waiting for her confirmation.

“Y-Yes of course, my lady. I’ll notify the footman right away,” she replies.

And so, I step out of the pristine, towering mansion, its name inscribed in harsh cursive; the Lisenne estate. My family is highly regarded, famous for slaying fallen angels, all because of that wretched goddess, Discordia. There is not a single person in this empire who has not heard of that so-called benevolent goddess. Her name inspires fear in anyone who dares to speak it. Legend has it that if you speak ill of her, you will be bound and doomed to her wrath. At least, that is what I have heard. But I do not need to rely on rumours or legends. The proof of Discordia’s malice is not written in dusty history books; It is currently locked away in a high-security cell at Everfall Sanatorium, wearing my father’s face.

Smoothing down the heavy ruffles of my brocade skirt, I turn toward the grand oak door of my chambers. It is time to go.

I walk—not hastily, but with a long, confident stride. Murmurs envelop me,

“Is that.. the infamous, Meredith Lisenne? Why is she walking with us commoners?”

Another speaks, “Shh! Quit it, unless you want her eyes to curse you, you fool!”

For a moment, I am about to turn around and give them a piece of my mind—but my eyes fix on my leather boots. Raindrops begin to fall, quickly turning into a hard downpour that lashes against parasol. Let them whisper. A Lisenne does not break her long, confident stride to bicker with the unwashed masses of the capital. I tighten my grip on the silver handle of my parasol, keeping my spine perfectly straight and my rigid drill curls bouncing in immaculate rhythm. Their fear is a natural reaction; it is the only respect they know how to give. With a cold click of my leather boots against the slick stone, I march past them, heading straight toward the wrought-iron gates where my carriage awaits.

For the next thirty minutes, I wonder whether my father will act the same way as he did during my last visit. The leather seat and the velvet interior accompany me the whole time, along with Adeline, who stares holes into my face.

We arrive. The looming, name engraved upon the iron archway, **EVERFALL SANATORIUM**. Well, it is not as though this is my first time seeing the famous sanatorium for fallen angels.

My heel lands on the first step of the carriage and the footman quickly offers me his hand.

Growing impatient, I demand, “I need to see my father. Out of the way.”

“Right, my lady—I apologise.” He says immediately.

“Tch,” I Tut, irritated.

I turn to Adeline, her gaze lingering on me in anticipation. She immediately understands what my impatient stare in return meant. I wished to be left alone without any further complications.

She nods and calmly walks back to the carriage with no further objections.

Then, I sweep past the footman without a second glance, the heavy velvet of my wide gown rustling against the cold stone pillars of the entryway. The air here always felt different—thick with the heavy, chilling residue of the Fallen Angel curse. I pushed open the enormous oak doors myself, stepping out of the furious downpour and into the echoing, candlelit lobby of the sanatorium. The grand room is dead silent. A lady stood behind the counter, overseeing the line.

I immediately began making my way toward to her, only to be greeted again by the infuriatingly cheerful director of the hospital. Just like last time.

“Miss Lisenne! My, my, it's nice to see you again, I suppose it has been three months since your last visit? This is the new head doctor of the Everfall Sanatorium. I want you to meet him.”

“Ah, yes, Cedric—how could I ever forget how much you’ve done for my father?  But I am, unfortunately, in a hurry. We can discuss this perhaps maybe another time?” I reply sarcastically, my disdain showing on my face no matter how hard I tried to hide it.

Cedric opens his mouth to introduce the stern-looking doctor beside him, but his words were cut short by the frantic chime of the lobby bell.

A tall, tanned man with drenched, dark-brown hair and translucent rectangular glasses approached the reception desk. Soaking wet and breathing heavily, he had a stack of stolen medical files hastily shoved under his jacket.

He froze when he spotted the head doctor. Realising he was completely cornered, his eyes darted from the doctor to Cedric, and then his jade eyes, framed by long, slightly curled lashes, locked onto me. The stranger lunged forward, grabbed my gloved hand, and looked straight at the stunned doctor.

“There you are, darling!” He gasped, his voice loud enough to draw the attention of everyone in the room. “I’m so sorry I’m late for our appointment. This relationship counselling is our last hope, and I simply cannot bear to keep you waiting any longer, my love.”

Honestly, I could not believe the sheer audacity of this man, he had his hand wrapped around my shoulder as if we were a real couple. He was standing far too close, his wet-jacket pressing dangerously against the neat ruffles of my massive bell skirt, threatening to ruin hours of Adeline’s careful streaming.

I looked from his desperate jade eyes down to our joined hands. The nerve of him. Did he have any idea who I was? Any normal commoner would have been executed on the spot for referencing a Lisenne’s personal life so flippantly in public.

Cedric looked back and forth between us, sputtering like a broken steam engine, “L-Lady Meredith…you’re in a relationship? With him?”

The stranger’s grip tightened on my hand. A silent, pleading squeeze. I squeezed back, enough to make his knuckles pop beneath my glove—and looked Cedric dead in the eye. “Yes, Cedric. It is a deeply complicated affair. Now if you’ll excuse us, our session is about to begin.”

“Felix, the new head doctor will attend to you lovebirds then, off you go then!” Cedric gestured to Felix, his palm upwards, non-verbally asking for him to attend to us.

“Gladly, I’ll be attending to the infamous Miss Lisenne then today.” Felix smiled, though looking tense at the drenched man next to me.

I smiled awkwardly in response.

We all walk in synchronised clicks—down the mahogany hallway, with intimate wall candlelights surrounding us in every other step we take. The air, filled with various scents, such as rubbing alcohol—intertwined with pine and resin…oozing off of the fresh, green forest surrounding the sanatorium.

Felix, highly skeptical of our “relationship” proceeded to say, “Very well then, Miss Lisenne and…you are?” His eyebrow arched in confusion, the other downward, in a neutral position.

The air around us pauses suddenly, the anxious man looking at me with pleading desperation, as if he wasn’t the one that brought us both into this chaotic mess.

“This man… is my fiancé, you may call him Peregrine.”  I expressed, happily with a innocent, capricious smile.

My dearest “fiancé” looked at me with utter disappointment, well I guess even a commoner would know I am labelling him as a stray dog.

“Our marriage is on the verge of collapse! Please help us doctor. My Fiancé has been wandering around and he even looks at other women when I am talking to him! I guess I am just not enough…!”  

I sobbed whilst I expressed my concerns with a classic cliché from other stories I’ve heard from bothersome noble ladies raising their concerns to me.

“AHEM,”

Felix suddenly cleared his throat, though I don’t know whether this is in amusement or the wave of pity that appeared on his face for a few seconds whilst I was frantically sobbing.

Abruptly, a new voice interrupted. “Darling, please—you misjudge me!” Peregrine pleaded smoothly, though the undertone of his voice was vibrating with real, hidden panic.

He reached out, taking my lace-trimmed hand whilst casting a desperate, sweating look at Felix. “I wasn’t looking at other women! I was merely…comparing their utterly plain countenances to your radiant, incomparable beauty, my love!”

Felix’s young appearance drastically aged like milk, just from hearing the dog’s helplessness. His neutral expression caused him to rapidly frown, upon hearing this disdainful speech. His eyes darkened from the beautiful crystal blue they had before, at least they had some life in them before…now they have none.

Felix managed to gain his composure after about 10 seconds. We continued to walk solemnly down the hallway, his expression—brooding, forcing himself not to look at the both of us till we reached the chilly, candlelit room that smelled heavily of the institutional rubbing alcohol and old parchment I had noticed earlier. In the centre of the office sat a plush velvet love-seat—a piece of furniture clearly not engineered for Imperial nobility.

I glided past Felix and claimed the exact middle of the sofa. The moment I sat, the flexible steel hoops of my crinoline cage expanded with a loud, aggressive rustle of black velvet, instantly swallowing up nearly eighty percent of the space.

Peregrine had no choice but to awkwardly perch his tall, drenched frame on the absolute, freezing edge of the remaining silver of cushion. He had to angle his long legs sideways just to avoid burying his knees in my ruffles.

Doctor Felix stood up out of his office chair and murmured, “Excuse me for a second,” He then proceeded to the front of the room where there were stacks of paper, kept within different folders—each with names. Until he flicked through each tab.

The dog then turned to me, taking advantage of this moment, whilst Felix was distracted. “Out of everything you could’ve named me Miss Lisenne, I am a stray dog?!” He whispered, very visible on his face that he was offended.

“Quit it!” I responded to his disobedience, “Be grateful I didn’t name you after the actual dead dog our family used to have, commoner.” My voice dripping in Ice, in bewilderment that this man is still even talking to me.

“How would you even know I was a commoner—“ He shot right back before Felix whipped around to face the both of us.

“Your case…Miss Lisenne is very interesting, I have a folder in the Lisenne name written here, would you like to open a new folder just for you and your… fiancé? Instead of your father of course.” Felix looked up from his desk, with a quill ready to take notes—his expression tentative and focused.

“Of course, Peregrine wouldn’t mind—would you, my love?” I smiled earnestly at my “fiancé” indirectly mocking him.

“N-no of course not my darling! After all, that is what we’re here for.”  The dog cheesed awkwardly, looking at Doctor Felix in confirmation.

The commoner then turned to look towards me, the chandelier light; wistfully hitting his pure jade eyes—but I see a more distinct colour… a haunting bright golden, illuminating even more fervently, matching his beautiful, bronzed skin. His lashes downward, yet slightly lifted, looking upon at me.

I was taken aback slightly, central heterochromia isn’t common at all. Furthermore, Moles were scattered all over his face, as if he’d be kissed by Adonis, honestly, it makes me livid, why does he get to look so effortlessly ethereal? What a pain.

But looking past my incessant, internal grumbling… a cold realisation settled into my chest. The striking colour of gold wasn’t just a pretty sight to behold. But an ancestral signature of House Solari. Infamous, for their mind manipulation abilities—yes, House Lisenne is famous for ruthlessly taking countless lives on the bloodied battlefield of crying angels. However, though we bleed a crimson cry, the Solaris determination is as blazing and relentless like the burning sun. They’ve managed to subdue countless, rotten angels by torturous mind control…and their lack of empathy is equally as terrifying.

Even the emperor from many millenniums ago decreed a ban on the Solaris for using their… perhaps, ‘god-given’ abilities on innocent lives. Instead, their fearsome gifts were locked away for the state utility—reserved strictly for breaking minds of wartime enemies, extractions and brutal torture methods.

 I’ve never heard of hybrids existing within the Solaris; maybe they wanted to keep him hidden.

But why? Is this man toying with me for some ulterior motive?…Or is he actually a descendant of the Solaris?

Impossible. I should know anyway, I’ve met all the distinct households holding up this god-forsaken empire, how did he…slip through my grasp? Mocking me. Playing some pathetic, desperate fiancé…I could just laugh at this whole, painstaking ordeal.

“…Miss Lis—

…Lisenne?

…Miss Lisenne?”

I look up suddenly, realising Felix is waving a hand near my face, whilst the commoner looks at me, seemingly worried.

I am rarely embarrassed but, messing up in a supposed counselling session? That’s so unlike me; my father would be disappointed if he sees the sorrowful sight of me right now.

I chuckle, slightly embarrassed, “Forgive me, Doctor Felix—where were we?”

Doctor Felix lets out a dull sigh, leaning back instantly, at the same time. He taps his quill rhythmically against the thin paper, probably to gain his patience back. He ruffles his ash-blonde, side-swept wavy hair as he then looks at me, his hands on top of each other…with his eyes above his hands. His striking, midnight-blue eyes pierce through my skin, earnestly asking me non-verbally demanding my attention.

A serious, monotone voice follows, “Miss Lisenne, we are just on the topic regarding you and your beautiful…fiancé, your fiancé recalls how you two met in your estate, recalling how your father praised him on how you managed to find someone so special. Apparently this was 3 years ago?”

“Yes, why?” I confidently shot back.

He chuckles again, looking at me like I am missing something important.

“You know, Miss Lisenne…you’re praised for being the perfect heir to the house but I guess even yourself, can miss a simple detail.”

“Do tell me then…Doctor, what am I missing?”  My eyes narrow in curiosity whilst he swivels in his leather chair and proceeds to lean forward in my ear,

“Pray tell, wasn’t your father admitted into Everfall 5 years ago? He’s not even allowed out to go anywhere under our volition. Hmm?”

He whispers, low enough for only Peregrine and me to hear, looking completely cocky as his eyes avert to Peregrine,

My face blushes hot, filled with pure shame. I angrily look at Peregrine, but at the same time, how is he supposed to know that? I know my father but that just managed to slip my mind, and this cocky bastard managed to make me, the head of Lisenne, embarrassed. My honour is down in the drain; there is absolutely no way I am coming back from this.

A cold, deafening silence surrounds us, I look withered, like a corpse…purely because a mere commoner managed to ruin everything within the span of 10 seconds.

Peregrine abruptly cuts in, a smooth, easy smile instantly replacing his panic. “My mistake, I must have mean’t her mother! I just got mixed up because I was only focused on my darling fiancé.”

He then looks over at me with a cunning grin, ignoring the fact that I am currently fuming next to him.

Doctor Felix proceeds to laugh out loudly, completely shifting his dead serious tone from earlier, into a very haughty, unprofessional manner. Wiping his joyful tears away he chuckles whilst looking up at the ceiling. Sighing as he stops laughter dies down, his voice drops an octave,

“Do you even realise what you’ve said? As her so-called fiancé—hell, even as a commoner—it is basic knowledge that the late Lady Lisenne tragically passed away fifteen years ago. It was all over the newspapers! I don’t know if you’re insolent and you want your head cut off or maybe you’re just a rotten individual!”

I kick Peregrine, HARD.

He winces from pure pain. I look at him with disgust. My heart is violently hammering at this point, purely out of frustration with this stray dog.

I smile, putting my mask on—refusing to let Felix know I am utterly in distress.

“Doctor, he is an idiot who clearly lacks the basic functions of a human being, I think his brain is messed up from all the wine we consumed last night, Isn’t that right, darling?”

I kick him again, then lean in to whisper in his ear “You fool, I shall take everything from here—if you interrupt again I’ll have you investigated for those suspicious medical files you are hiding and as a gift…you’ll be executed by dawn tomorrow.”

The stray dog nods in confirmation, looking at me as his eyes lock onto Felix,“Y-Yes Doctor! My darling and I have been drinking; I suppose I just get too carried away! Haha…”

Helping Jax - Fictional Character Assignment

Name: Jax, real name unknown

Source: The Amazing Digital Circus (indie animated series)

Age: 22

Role: the prankster or troublemaker. Or, as he puts it, “The Funny One”

Brief summary of situation: Jax (along with the other characters of TADC) was once a human in the real world. He ended up trapped in The Amazing Digital Circus after he put on a “headset”. The specific details of what led up to putting on the headset and his early life, are unknown. Escape is seemingly impossible. He has lost a few friends, Kaufmo and Ribbit (the latter he seemed particularly close to) to “abstraction,” where a character transforms into a monstrous form from a psychological breakdown. Not only is abstraction a looming, traumatic threat, but the Circus itself is traumatic as well. The characters are often put into dangerous and scary situations, or “adventures”, by the AI ringmaster, Caine.

Observations and Presenting Problems:

Difficulty forming genuine connections: Interactions with Jax are characterized by sarcasm, teasing, and humour. He does not share personal feelings and vulnerabilities. Emotional closeness may feel unsafe.

Frequent use of humour and teasing: Jax often uses humour and teasing to avoid hard emotions. Perhaps it’s a coping and protective mechanism to avoid facing the true dread and hopelessness of being stuck in the Circus.

Disregard for others’ feelings: Jax appears insensitive to others' emotions. He teases, manipulates, and provokes. Maybe acknowledging others' emotions would mean he would have to confront his own. This does not necessarily mean he is not empathetic. Perhaps playing the bully is a productive mechanism to avoid making friends and losing them again, after what happened to Kaufmo and Ribbit.

Avoidance of vulnerability: Jax rarely allows others to see him vulnerable. He avoids serious conversations or redirects conversations. Perhaps he is uncomfortable with others seeing him vulnerable.

Emotional suppression: Jax often appears emotionally detached from highly stressful situations. He rarely expresses fear, sadness, or grief and often responds with humour or indifference. Maybe suppressing his emotions prevents him from slipping into grief and dread.

Why Jax? – Jax is such a fascinating character to me. While everyone in the show has their problems, I find Jax is the most interesting to dissect and analyze to understand his behaviour. Trying to build a relationship with a character who constantly pushes you away is a challenge, and one I will likely see in the field. He has been through a lot.

Assessment

The first course of action is building rapport with Jax. Rather than immediately confronting his behaviour, I would build enough of a trusting and safe connection where he feels he can let those walls down. His sarcasm and tendency to push others away could be a sign that he will be resistant to helping professionals. Jax appears carefree but his behaviour may be a coping mechanism to avoid hard emotions like hopelessness. I would want to get the following information:

His experiences in the Digital Circus.

Relationships with the other members.

How he truly feels about being trapped in the Circus.

Perceptions of self and others.

The purpose his humour and sarcasm serve.

In building that relationship, I would avoid making assumptions and focus on understanding the purpose of his behaviour. I would approach Jax with patience and respect and avoid criticism. Instead, I would acknowledge the use of it as a coping mechanism and focus on Jax as a person. A safe, nonjudgmental environment would encourage honest communication and strengthen the relationship. One of the first things I would explore is Jax’s personal life and past experiences. There is not much known about his life before the Circus, but I would still like to explore who he was before getting trapped. It would give me a glimpse of whether his behaviour and coping strategies were a result of the Circus or past life experiences, old relationships, or interests. I would also gather information about his relationships with the Circus members. He does interact with others, but these interactions are characterized by teasing and sarcasm. There is only one character he demonstrates a potential genuine connection to, that being Pomni. I would like to know how he feels about everyone else. Jax tends to see the other characters more as archetypes rather than complex human beings. I.e. Gangle is the “sad one,” Kinger is the “crazy one,” and so on. I would like to know how and why he developed that. I would also want to know whether he feels connected to or trusts them and his role in the group. Another major area to understand is how Jax functions, especially emotionally, in a place as unpredictable and traumatic as the Digital Circus. I would look at how he manages stress, uncertainty, and the reality of being trapped. I would use open-ended questions like:

What is life like in the Digital Circus?

What do you enjoy there?

What do you think people misunderstand about you?

What helps you cope with stress?

I would observe Jax’s body language, reactions, engagement, and use of humour. I would pay attention to what topics he avoids or when he becomes defensive. Finally, I would assess his strengths. He seems resilient to the stresses and adaptable even with the unpredictable nature of the Circus. He also appears strongly confident and independent in difficult situations and often takes initiative.

Interpersonal Skills and Empathy

Building a relationship with a character like Jax is gonna be very tricky. It would require strong skills to break his walls. Since he often hides emotions behind his mask of humour and sarcasm, it would be especially important to create an accepting environment where he feels understood. Active listening is essential; I would listen carefully to everything Jax says and what he could be non-verbally communicating through his behaviour. If he uses humour, I would be attentive to the possible feelings behind it. Empathy would show Jax that I understand his experiences without judgement. By acknowledging the challenges of living in a stressful, confusing, and isolating environment, I can help Jax feel supported. I would validate his reactions and feelings by communicating that they make sense based on his circumstances. I might say “It sounds like you had to adapt to lots of uncertainty, that can’t always be easy.” Open-ended questions open the floor for more in-depth discussion and reflection. A question such as “What does humour do for you when you’re stressed?” would allow Jax to share his thoughts. Reflecting feelings would increase emotional awareness. If Jax talks about something frustrating humorously, I would respond with “It sounds like to me that there’s some frustration behind that joke.” This could encourage him to consider emotions he usually avoids. I would focus on Jax’s strengths using strength-based communication by focusing on his resilience, adaptability, and confidence. Highlighting strengths could help develop self-awareness. Being nonjudgmental is especially important because Jax likely expects to be criticized. Staying calm, respectful, and accepting creates a safe environment. To build a relationship, I would stay consistent, genuine, and reliable. Hopefully, over time, these skills will help Jax feel understood and supported enough to explore the emotions he usually keeps hidden.

Goals

I would give Jax two SMART goals to focus on. His first goal is that within eight weeks, Jax will identify and verbally express one genuine emotion during four out of five weekly meetings. This will help him not solely rely on humour or sarcasm in stressful situations. Another goal would be that within ten weeks, Jax will demonstrate two positive ways to communicate, such as directly expressing feelings or giving supporting comments to others, during at least three observed interactions each week. These goals are specific, measurable through observations, achievable with some support and practice, relevant to what we are working on together, and time-bounded to a timeline.

Helping Strategies and Supports

Several strategies would be helpful when supporting Jax. I would work with him to develop emotional regulation skills. Checking in with his feelings, reflection, and journaling could help him become more self-aware of his emotions and learn healthier ways to express them. I would also work with Jax to develop coping mechanisms that are not related to humour and avoidance. Identifying emotions, self-reflection, and learning stress management can help him respond efficiently to stress. Another important focus would be building healthy relationships. Jax could learn to express himself honestly and strengthen connections with others by using guided dissension and development of communication skills. Exploring trust and empathy with him would promote healthy connections with the rest of the Circus members. To increase his self-esteem, I would use a strength-based approach. By recognizing his adaptability, resilience, and confidence, Jax could develop a more balanced view of self. Finally, I would encourage connecting with supportive people within the Circus, perhaps Pomni in particular, who demonstrate positive and trustworthy qualities. Strengthening social support can reduce isolation and improve general wellbeing. Strategies like these are appropriate for the situation because many of Jax’s behaviours seem to function as coping and protective mechanisms. Helping him develop healthier ways to manage emotions and relationships, he can keep his strengths while also reducing behaviours that are maladaptive and create barriers between him and others.

Reflection