Change. (Kane/Jory)

[Jory Addison]

Jory didn't really want to do this, but he even more than that, he couldn't see a way out of it. Whatever relaxation and ease had come from the too-short time spent with Jamie a few days before was long gone, and he had to do something. So there he was, knocking on the counselor's door. Who would have thought that he would end up there? Where had it gone wrong?

He didn't know, and he hated that he didn't know. He hated that he was the way he was now, so very different from how he had been for the majority of his life, so different from who he wanted to be. he hated even thinking about it. Jory wasn't even sure what would happen behind the heavy door, but he hoped it changed things.

[Kane Garrett]

Kane had the door open before he'd even made it to his feet. He didn't recognize the knock and so many students knocked and ran that he wished he could just leave the door open. Of course, knowing how skittish the kids here seemed to be, they might not approach at all if they thought he could see them. "Come in," he said with a disarming smile.

[Jory Addison]

That was the counselor? He was gorgeous. Jory forced his eyes away and came in, taking an unsure seat in one of the chairs. He chewed his lower lip and dropped his bookbag to the floor by the chair before he brought his hands together in his lap to play with his rings. "The muggle doctor guy said I should talk to you." He probably would have come anyway, but he didn't know what to say.

[Kane Garrett]

"Ah, Jory," Kane said, making the connection. "It's nice to finally meet you. Yeah, I've spoken with Doctor Reynolds. He said that visiting might be easier for you if we talked about some things first. I'll let you start if you like. What's going on?"

[Jory Addison]

"Where do you want me to start?" Jory asked. A lot was going on, but it was all so jumbled up that he wasn't sure how to start talking. Did he need to start with Lyric? Or with coming out, then go back to Lyric? Maybe he should even start with what had happened when he had gone with Quinn to try and visit Lyric.

[Kane Garrett]

"You can start with yourself," Kane said. He leaned forward slightly to rest his forearms against his desk. "We can get to know each other a little before we get into the deep stuff. That sound okay to you?" He reached a hand out over the desk. "I'm Kane," he said, offering a brief handshake.

[Jory Addison]

Jory took Kane's hand, "Nice to meet you," he said before he made himself let go, though he managed to only hold on for a brief moment longer than he should have. What was he supposed to say now? I was born at home and I have a knack for catching squirrels."You already know who I am."

[Kane Garrett]

"You can tell me anything you think is important," Kane said. "Anything that's bugging you. Dr. Reynolds didn't tell me what happened at your meeting, not in specifics. Just that I might be able to help you out."

[Jory Addison]

Anything that's bugging you. That was a can of worms, a huge one. "I don't know, all this stuff keeps happening right after the other after the o-you know Quinn just outright told that doctor guy that we'd both had sex with Lyric?" Yes, he was still bitter about that, and no, he didn't think this was the same thing. He was willingly telling Kane this, Kane's job was to help him. That other guy had had no business knowing.

[Kane Garrett]

If Kane was surprised at hearing that, he kept it to himself. "I didn't know that, actually," he said. "Dr. Reynolds holds the same privacy policy as I do; it's all between us unless someone is in immediate physical danger. Would you like to tell me about the meeting?"

[Jory Addison]

"I just wanted to see Lyric and make sure he was okay, I was there when Professor Grey took him," Jory said. "Then he was all do you know anything that could help, and whatever Lyric told me is secret, I don't decide who knows about that. But apparently Quinn doesn't get that some people might not want some muggle doctor we've never met before knowing who we've been with!

"And then he was saying how it was a good thing that she had told him because people could be ashamed and she so didn't get it and was on about how no one should be ashamed. Then when I told her how hard it was when people knew she jumped on me and all but said it was my fault that it hurt when people said all that stuff to me, she even acted like it was my fault they pick on me in the first place!"

Jory hadn't realized his voice was speeding and getting louder until he stopped. He felt his eyes burning from the memory, just like they had during the actual meeting. He looked away from Kane, back down at his hands. "Then he said if visitors were going to be too stressful he couldn't let them see Lyric and we left."

[Kane Garrett]

"And how does that make you feel?" Kane asked. Jory had given him facts and it was obvious that it had distressed him, but how? Was he angry? Embarrassed? Was he upset at Quinn and fine about having had to leave?

[Jory Addison]

"Pissed," Jory said. "And hurt and frustrated." He reached up and wiped at his eyes. "And lonely." He half-stood, bringing one leg up underneath him and pulling the other up in front of him, putting his foot on the edge of the chair. He hugged his leg to him and pressed his cheek against it. "I just wanted to check on Lyric and she just did that."

[Kane Garrett]

"Your not being able to visit likely had little to do with the specifics of what was said. Your personal problems wouldn't affect it. However, visiting someone in Lyric's condition would be difficult, especially for someone as close to him as it sounds like you are. I'm sorry you had to go through that disappointment. Did you ask how Lyric was doing while you were there?"

[Jory Addison]

Jory nodded, though he found himself staring at his shoe rather than looking at Kane as he spoke. "Yeah, but he didn't answer, he went straight to asking questions. Then he said that Lyric's not stable and he'd call us in a week, and to talk to you. But if I can't see Lyric unless I can play nice with Quinn, I don't know how long it'll take."