Heart Made Of Glass (Vesper)

[Ellen Banks]

….and here she was again….staring blankly forward the “Tick, tick tick” of the clock resounding through her head like a giant drill, unable to get the bored expression off her face as she reclined back in the chair, her fingers drumming against her knees in a rhythmic  fashion just to do something to pass the time that seems to stand still whenever she stepped into this office, Her body language practically screamed “I so don’t want to be here”


And yet despite how she clearly felt, despite how things have gone in the past and despite seemingly all logic Ellen could fathom here she was once again in Miss Bae’s office at the beginning of another therapy session.

It should come to no surprise to anyone that knew Ellen Bank what she thought of the practice of therapy especially in relation to her. Why on earth would she need to sit down with someone and talk about her feelings? What business was that to anyone but her? When she told people that she was perfectly fine...what reason did they have to doubt her?

Didn’t they see the way Ellen lived? She was rich, smart, pretty and she came from one of the most influencial families in the area. What on earth did she have to be insecure about?

So naturally when she met Doctor Bae. She treated her barely trying to hide the fact she found the whole thing rather ridiculous and she treated her with very poorly disguised scorn...Her first session with her was….Interesting to say the least ...She brought up things that Ellen REALLY didn’t want to discuss so she stormed out and as far as Ellen was concerned that would be it. She wanted nothing to do with that woman ever again

...That was until she showed up at her dorm room…..

One thing led to another and here she was agreeing to another one of these sessions sitting there staring a hole through Vesper her hands suddenly making a mild impatience gesture at the normally unnervingly calm doctor

“Well? I’m waiting….

[Vesper Bae]

It had taken a lot of effort to convince Ellen to come back. Vesper rarely went out of her way for any of the students - at least, not to that extent - and to do so now could have easily been deemed incorrect or inappropriate. Therapy might have been mandatory, but she herself could sit in a room for an hour regardless of who showed up or not. She'd gone out of her way. She'd made a plea. It must have struck a chord.

Because they were back, and even if Ellen was acting as unaccepting as ever, she was still sitting in that chair across from Vesper. Carefully, the good Doctor allowed Ellen to say whatever she wanted to first. Anything given would be everything to jump off from. Even something as small as what she ended up with.

"What are you waiting for?" Vesper asked, honestly, "We'll talk about whatever you'd like to discuss." And as such, she had every power to drive the conversation to her own will.

[Ellen Banks]

Urg. Typical Ellen thought as Vesper finally responded, Ellen really should have seen that coming after her experiences with Doctor Bae up to this point. It was never really a conversation with her, she had come to find; Talking with her sometimes felt like throwing a ball at a brick wall over and over again, no matter what Ellen threw at her she just rebounded Ellen’s words right back at her with typical robotic inflection like she was a machine programmed to with only a limited amount of responses (“How does that you feel” or “Does that make you angry”)

Before answering her question, Ellen took great pleasure in making her wait as she took her phone out of her Italian made purse and tapped away on it for a few moments her eyes occasionally travelling up to Vesper to throw her a glare as if daring her to tell her to put it away.

Eventually Ellen did indeed put her phone back in her purse and punctuated the silence with a extubated sigh “I thought YOU were the therapist here, not me. You expect me to do your job for you?” Ellen eventually rolled her eyes and shrugged her shoulders “Ok, fine. I’ll bite; Why did you bring me back? Do you do that for every student you see? And if you ask me why I think you did, I’m leaving. Fair warning.

[Vesper Bae]

Vesper waited as patiently as she had in the past. It was as patient as she would be with someone who liked to play the games as she did. Ellen had learned to be calculating; it was a trait taken from someone so obviously that she couldn't possibly find fault in it. To Vesper, such actions weren't her actions at all.

Again, Ellen would bite, despite the protest she gave before she'd do so.

"Have you ever noticed how similarly you start your sessions?" She asked openly instead, curiosity sparking in her usually calm tone, "For someone so intent to give nothing in a session, you're certainly prone to opening up without much effort."

[Ellen Banks]

True it was a textbox tactic right out of the bank's handbook. Always make the other person wait on you, never the other way around because then right from the outset in a very subtle way you’re letting them know that it was YOUR game they were playing. They were the one waiting for you not the other way around, you were the one in control of the situation and after how cutting the last session between them was, Ellen wanted to make that perfectly clear right from the outset.

Thanks for that one dad..


What happened the last time was as a result of Ellen’s lack of knowledge about who exactly she was dealing with and it’ll be a cold day in hell before she let this session end like the last one did.

So you can imagine the mild look of bemusement on Ellen’s face when Doctor. Bae revealed that she already opened up to her in some way or another “Oh?” Ellen drawled an eyebrow raised and a bored expression on her face “And how exactly is asking you a question the same as “Opening up?” It’s not exactly the same as me whining and babbling to you about a pet that died in my childhood...I bet you get that all the time...Must get tedious after awhile.

Listening to people cry about their problems day in and day out? Ellen couldn't imagine a worse fate 

[Vesper Bae]

The corner of Vesper's mouth pulled upward at the idea of a tragic death of a pet in the Banks family. Was it a smile? Close enough, maybe.

"And then, almost immediately, you choose to segway into an attack on my job as a whole, not simply how I conduct myself around you." Another usual shift. Usually she simply accepted them as they were, because pointing out unconscious protocols had never been a strategic move.

But it was hard to be strategic around this girl. It was always better to be honest.

"Have I struck a nerve with you, Ellen?"

[Ellen Banks]

A pet death in the Banks household would have never happened unless hell froze over. Given the nature of her powers, Ellen was never allowed to have a pet. Pets were messy hairy and they took great delight in messing up the always perfectly pristine Banks manor and naturally this upset the younger child a great deal given the nature of her power animals were nothing but loving to her...but she learned to live with it.….She learned to live with a lot of things. In any case, she couldn’t help but notice the small smile on her face...That was different. “Something funny?” She asked her lips pursed.

“”Because your whole practice is ridiculous not JUST you” Ellen explained with a mild disinterested tone in her voice “But, we’ve already been over this” Referring back to their first session where she gladly told Doctor Bae all about her theory about the great con that was therapy “Oh boo-hoo I’m sad” “That’s ok, I’ll just feed you some nonsensical psychobabble until you feel better...That’ll be 500 dollars” Needless to say that attention to scare the good doctor didn’t work


“Yes. Yes, you do” Ellen said almost the instant the question left Vesper’s lips “I resent being told I need this when I clearly don’t...and you acting like you know something deep and meaningful about me after about what? Three conversations? Ellen shook her head lamenting the time she wasted here looking at her watch…

God time really did stand still here

[Vesper Bae]

It went without explanation that Ellen had passionate feelings about psychology. That wasn't an easy thing to change, and despite prior conversations she didn't expect it to be any different now. Every little thing said carried something worth keeping.

"You resent what I said?" Vesper asked her kindly. Given how their last conversation went, she was highly aware of just how unaffected she needed to be. "Or do you simply resent me for the industry I represent."

[Ellen Banks]

Ellen had strong opinions about anything she didn’t like, you give her a less than the acceptable topic in her eyes and she will gladly spend an hour of her life explaining to you in detail why that particular thing isn’t worth her time. Delighting in every single excruciatingly meticulously point until you were so miserable you’d agree to anything she says just to shut her up

It was a gift.

Ellen again didn’t even bother to look the doctor in the eyes except choosing to check her nails “Oh those are such good choices” She said with a marked sarcastic tone “Why can’t I pick both?”

[Vesper Bae]

"You can, if you'd like." Vesper replied quickly. Calmly, yet rehearsed enough. She thought to mention that there were no wrong answers here, really, but she doubted that would go so well with Ellen. "You can always correct me if you feel I'm wrong. You know that."

And she often tried to choose that response.

"Tell me what's good in your life right now." Vesper continued on, careful and still without a mark to the file she never really had to reference to in her hands. When it came to Ellen Banks, she never really seemed to have the same memorial flaws.

[Ellen Banks]

Well wasn’t doctor. Vesper, just so accommodating. Ellen thought with a slight small smirk playing on her face as she tucked her legs from under her making herself as comfortable as humanly possible. If she was going to be here for awhile. That was her prerogative, wasn’t it? “Like I need your permission” Elen scoffed as she tossed her hair behind her. Even though it did take a small bit of fun out of the situation if Vesper gave her permission to do exactly that . That was Doctor Bae’s thing apparently. No matter what Ellen threw at her she never once got annoyed, which was a tad bit annoying. She was rather hoping that at some point the doctor would just get frustrated and leave her be.

Give Ellen time…

At the question Ellen ever so slightly tilted her head considering the rather abrupt question, but eventually, a smile did reach her lips as if grateful that the good doctor gave her the chance to brag “What isn’t good about my life?” She replied quickly raising the palms of her hands up as if to say “Isn’t it obvious?” “I’m rich. I’m from one of the most powerful families in the area, I’m one of the most influential people in the school...AND I’dating the high school. Football captain” She empathised tho last four words with relish like she was letting a fine wine dance upon her tongue.

What was his name again? Matt? Mitch? Something like that...

But  it didn't matter.

[Vesper Bae]

The concept of good was open to Ellen's perspective, though Vesper honestly had a great idea as to where her mind would go first. Still, she sat patiently and gave the blonde before her every opportunity to consider her response before she gave it. Usually she liked to drag such moments out, but it was better when she didn't. First answer wasn't always the best, but it was the most honest.

And of course, it went just as Vesper expected. Still, she didn't look disappointed by the prospect of Ellen speaking more than she usually would. It wasn't so hard to get her talking; it all depended on the subject matter chosen.

"Sounds practically perfect." Vesper seemed to agree, though she wasn't entirely sure about that last piece of information, "What else?"

[Ellen Banks]

Yes, indeed, Ellen did answer the question relatively quickly compared to the other questions that the good doctor had asked her, but she would assume that the reasons for that would be somewhat obvious,Ellen was honestly surprised that Doctor Bae even felt the need to ask her that question. Weren’t all of her virtues on display for the world to see and envy?

To Ellen life was rather simple indeed; Girls wanted what she has, and they resent Ellen because they simply didn’t have what she did and envy was a very ugly thing indeed

“You’re right” Ellen smirked “It is” You could practically feel the smugness radiating off of her

….Until that was replaced by a fair amount of confusion at the doctor's follow up question “What else?” Ellen frowned as if making sure that was what she said “.....What does that mean; What else? What else is there?”

[Vesper Bae]

Just when Vesper thought she might be corrected, she wasn't. She had considered the fact that Ellen wouldn't accept a word that placed a dent in the notion of the perfection she wanted to convey. She must have looked a little intrigued by the agreement; even she couldn't help that.

"Well," She started, and she paused for a second or so because they both had to know there was something coming from all this. She even shifted in her seat a fraction, like she had to sit up suddenly; "We've already established that you have estranged feelings towards members of your family. Power doesn't equal happiness, let alone goodness, and we both know that. Money is quite the same, as I'm sure you've come across a person or two - or four, or more - who see you for the figure in your bank account, not your face."

Never did her eyes turn down to the paper before her. This was Ellen Banks after all, and Vesper didn't need notes to read everything necessary. "And that all-but wipes away the notion that you are influential as anything but a personal ATM. Fear and a knowingly bad attitude to a majority of your life's practices also doesn't make you influential."

"And the boy." As she so decided to mention, "Can you tell me anything else about him?"

[Ellen Banks]

 Ellen sighed inwardly once Vesper began, knowing already she was going to like where this was going, she could practically hear the whistle of the train of psychobabble about to run her over. It didn’t seem to matter to Doctor Bae. how much Ellen insisted, on the contrary, that was was a totally well adjusted happy person with no issues whatsoever (As if it wasn’t obvious) but it always seemed that the doctor always had some kind of rational or pages of physiology to use as evidence that Ellen truly wasn’t.


Because some book knew her better than she could ever know herself right?


Still, Ellen just sat silently, absorbing Doctor Bae’s argument not even bothering to even look interested for a moment, angling her back against the chair her hand supporting her chin slightly raising her eyebrow just a little but she couldn’t help but nod along with that last part “Where money goes, rats follow….A school full of mutants and not a genuine person in them” She snorted in derision “....Everyone in this school likes to pretend they're so nice and accommodating…”Oh, were so accepting of everyone isn’t the world just wonderful?” they’re all insecure and selfish as each other. I don’t pretend to be something I’m not so I can be in their little group hugs...And yet I’m a bad guy?” Ellen snorted in derision at the idea, her low opinion of the rest of the population never really something she chooses to hide even at the best of times. “Oh? And what exactly DOES? Let me guess; Being nice to people? Lying just to be popular? Being the one that can slobber and whine over when they’re having an emotional crisis?”

Ellen’s body instantly started to stiffen whenever someone asked her about her mysterious “Boyfriend” but her eyes narrowed just a little towards Doctor Bae “What would you like to know? We met in Prague in the summer on vacation, he lives in Seattle and we Skype date once a week. He’s rich. Totally handsome and worth TEN of everyone else here” Ellen rattled off as if it was a internal script she’s taken to memorizing