Kooky Old Man

jonas oberlin sixty years young friendly neighborhood warlock mental health therapist memento mori hqs

[jonasoberlin-blog]

eleorasenigma‌:

“I’m glad, I loved so many of them and there is truly no one out there like you. I’d hate for them to be lost.”It was days like this she wished she could leave her vampirism behind and age–she could be human and age with him. Leave forever behind for a moment to have that back. “I believe we both will, I tried so hard to let this town do what it wanted. I never wanted to get caught up in a mess that was no my own. You might be what they need, most magic users are so young and unguided–they could use someone like you.” She wasn’t sure what will happen, but it was something she feared more and more every day. “I fear this will end how many things do–in a war. A war we cannot stop, a war we are not ready for, and a war that make take many of us with it. Jonas, I don’t know if I ever said it or had reason to, but this–this terrifies me.” 

“You think?” Jonas uttered, rather admirably from Eleora’s words. Of course, she knew him so well, and with all the time they had spent together before, it seemed almost impossible to let go of, even if he had to. “Sometimes this place just needs a bit of a reckoning, an awakening of sorts I guess. It’s...lost all other meaning.” It was supposed to be a safe place, supernatural from far and wide able to come there and be who they were to an extent. The deaths and tragedies proved otherwise. “People are taking advantage of the anonymity that this place serves as.” He really wasn’t one to get into the politics of it all, but he also only wanted this place to be safe. “Me too El. I...for the first time in my...40-something years of living here...I’m scared of the people in this town and what they’re doing to it.”

[jonasoberlin-blog]

izzyxlockgaurd‌:

“You’re right. It’s much easier to focus on books than life happening around you while using magic, however.” Isabel laughed, pushing her hair from her face, then smiling as he took her hand. “It may take a lot of time. I’m glad you’re here for the support, Jonas. It may be your job, but you’re also a good person.” She squeezed his hand, happy that someone could feel so confident in her. “As long as you’re willing to stick with my sometimes obtuse and stubborn self, I think we can get pretty far.” 

“I’ll make sure of it.” Jonas added at the end, letting her know that he believed in her and her ability to do right with her magic. As he rolled out a soft nod towards her, he glanced to her with his broad smile, and in a soft whisper, he added, “You’re a good person too, don’t ever forget it. Bad things sometimes happen, but that doesn’t make you any less of a good person trying to do good things.” And at his reminder, he lifted back up, standing up straight and letting go of her while waving her off. “I’ll see you next time, take care of yourself.”

[jonasoberlin-blog]

eleorasenigma‌:

“You’re too sweet to me, Jonas.” She blushed, “But I would rather be here with you and not caught up in the social politics.My nights with you are always better.” Even if time aged him she couldn’t help still seeing the young man she loved more than anyone else. It was night’s like this she wished she could age with him. “I didn’t think a place like this ever could. It was a different world,  a crueler world and it’s strange to think that it still exists. I think that’s what scares me about this place–it feels like its time is running out.”

“I haven’t changed all my ways.” He began with a slight chuckle. “With the state of the town these days, I don’t blame you. I just hope that something changes. And I have a feeling I’m gonna have to get involved in something before too long.” He didn’t want to, but he felt it was only fair for being a part of the community for so long. “No kidding. I’m not sure if anything can stop its inevitable demise. But for the time being, we have to at least try to slow it down. Whatever’s got it out for us, it seems adamant on leaving nobody left behind.”

[jonasoberlin-blog]

izzyxlockgaurd‌:

“You’re right. I do need to learn to concentrate with my eyes open. I don’t know why for work it seems so much easier, but for this it’s not.” Isabel frowned, worried that her magic could hurt someone regardless of whether she wanted it to or not in any case, and the idea of doing it while her eyes closed only worried her more. She did feel at ease at his next words, however, and the warmth from her happiness was hard to contain. “I’m glad you feel like I’ve been adopted already. I like knowing that I have another family here.” She smiled, mostly to herself, as he spoke of learning in a good light. “You’re a good person, Jonas. All of us that you work with are very fortunate to have you here to help.” 

“It’s a different type of concentration. Plus, I take it they didn’t just hand you your medical license after you declared you wanted to be a doctor. It took years of school and studying and practice, not to mention interning and clinicals.” Jonas reminded with a short nod towards her. “This is going to take time, even to just master the first step. But once you have it, you can keep building on it.” The reassurance was all there as he grabbed onto her hand. “You’re a good person too Isabel. And it’s my job to help people, don’t forget it.”

[jonasoberlin-blog]

“You would have turned everybody’s heads and gotten their attention if you had gone.” Jonas relished in the moment, easily finding the solid moment with Eleora to be quite a throwback, something he could only rely back on to his memories. “It’s even a wonder the town survived for 100 years, you know? And to think...back then...it was a completely different world.”

@eleorasenigma

[jonasoberlin-blog]

izzyxlockgaurd‌:

“Do you think so? I feel like a baby just learning to walk.” Isabel giggled, relieved that he didn’t feel she was learning too slowly. She fully intended to let herself learn and succeed, and considering her mentor was so patient, she had hoped he wouldn’t get bored too quickly. She mentally tried to picture Jonas as a kid, grinning at the thought. “You had your family to help you, and well, I have you to help support me, so I guess that means you’ve kind of adopted me now.” She teased him gently, but was incredibly grateful for his constant reassurance. “Do you help others with magic often too, Jonas? You’re really good at helping with all the emotional stuff, but you’re also really easy to listen to and really good at helping me understand what is happening during magic use. You’re not just training wheels, you’re like the dad cheering the kid in the background as well for just being on the bike.” 

“Well, I’d say you’re past walking now. You’ve got concentration in the bag, now you just have to work on open concentration, while being able to have your eyes open. Can’t aim magic blindly, you might hurt somebody.” Jonas said, his tone growing a bit serious as he looked to her, knowing of her past and wanting to refrain from causing that sort of damage again. “Oh, I think it’s plenty safe to say I’ve all but adopted you now. We’re a magical community, and we need to stick together.” Jonas easily relayed back. “I...take in who I can. Those who are willing to work, I happily take in. It’s a two-way street, and that’s not something I take in lightly. It’s easy to work with those who try though. I’m glad I can be that for you. I only want the best and for you to feel confident in your new found abilities.”

[jonasoberlin-blog]

izzyxlockgaurd‌:

The hand dropping on her shoulder to guide her was comforting. His words guiding her to imagine a peaceful time and she struggled to think of a good one that wasn’t fueled around chaos. She settled on one where her mother was painting with her when she was younger. It was a small memory, one that she hadn’t thought about in a long time, but in it she found peace and the comforting feeling of calm leading her hands to drop. The magic was still there, she could feel it and the tingling sensation it provided, but it wasn’t as noticeable now that she was focused on being calm. She breathed slowly, opening her eyes in an attempt to keep the magic flowing without having to close her eyes to focus. It lasted a bit longer than she had expected, the weight of Jonas’s hands surely keeping her where she needed to be to focus. As soon as it dawned on her that she had kept it going with her eyes open, the tingling dulled and disappeared and she laughed. “I can’t even imagine doing this without you. I had my eyes open for a second or two, and kept it going because you made me feel connected. Jonas, when did you start training in magic? Do you remember needing to lean on someone so heavily?” She was amused, and surprisingly not disappointed by the fact that she had to rely on someone else to help her through it.

“That’s why we practice. This will only get easier with time and commitment, but you’re showing promising signs already.” There was such wonder in his tone as he found him proud of all the work they had already accomplished in such a short amount of time already. He could only imagine what more she would be able to do with just an ease of conscience. He chuckled a bit at her question then, finding himself taken back to the old days of his childhood. “Oh yes. I was much younger, probably 10 when I started even thinking about things like this. My family was always supportive though. They never pushed, and maintained a really great relationship, which only helped my art. This isn’t something that happens overnight. It’s like riding a bike, I’m just your training wheels.”

[jonasoberlin-blog]

izzyxlockgaurd‌:

“I couldn’t do this without you.” A warm feeling of self determination and happiness settled over her. Jonas mentioning that he was proud of her, even for this baby step, only encouraged her to continue practicing. Isabel pushed a few loose strands of hair from her face, trying to lose the grin and become serious again.  “One little step at a time, right? I just have to focus, and keep trying. It will be so crazy to be able to do more.” She let out a quiet breath and raised her hands just a bit. This action was mostly to keep herself focused rather than to convey the magic. It helped her stay on task with the movement almost triggering a mindset. “I’m going to try again.” Repetitive practice was far from boring to her, and she rather enjoyed it in school. She was determined to enjoy it here as well. Clearing her mind, she focused on calm once again, welcoming the strange tingling sensation, rather than being confused by it this time. A frown pulled across her face ever so slightly as she battle to keep her mind on the task at hand and not let it pull her fears in, though she was doing well for the most part. 

Jonas wanted Isabel to begin to truly believe in herself, but he found it was easier for anybody to start believing in themselves if they had someone to believe in them to begin with, something that solidified Jonas’s ideology for working with the witch, and all his other clients it seemed. Still, at her brief statement of wanting to try again, Jonas was eagerly awaiting her, as he measly stated, “The more you practice, the better you’ll get.” There was so much genuine pride in working with the young woman, and as he watched her carefully, noticing the change in her expression, he placed a hand onto her shoulder, leaning forward to get a better view before adding softly. “Ground yourself Isabel. Take yourself to a time that was peaceful. You can do this.”

[jonasoberlin-blog]

            Event 007: City Hall Centennial Celebration  Formal Wear

[jonasoberlin-blog]

izzyxlockgaurd‌:

Taking another slow breath, she closed her eyes and focused entirely on what Jonas was saying. The tingling sensation spread further down her body and as he spoke, she began to understand the feeling he had described. She held onto it for a bit, her breathing easily regulating itself, and her posture relaxing. Releasing the magic was the hardest part for her, and she struggled for a moment as she felt a pull to keep using it. However, she released it, and immediately perked up and looked over to Jonas with excitement. “I did it!” She clapped her hands together, her lips pulling into an incredibly wide grin. “If you weren’t here I think I would have lost it, but you talked me through it and that was just awesome!” She licked her lips, trying to contain her joy to something much more reasonable, but it was difficult to do when all she wanted to do was jump up and down and hug the man who had helped her. 

The entire feeling of calm was one that he not only though would benefit her in the long run, but something that he always wanted her to get used to. Magic always had a different effect on people’s stability and mental wellness it seemed, and Jonas wanted to take his time with teaching Isabel the basics so the building blocks could be used upon for further training. As he watched her carefully, Jonas nodded back, before showing his smile at her perking up. “You did do it! I’m so proud!” Jonas reigned back over her, as his own expression mirrored her excited one. “It’s just the first step of many, but once you have this down, you’ll be able to start doing all sorts of different things, with just the mere idea. It’ll become a secondary instinct.”

[jonasoberlin-blog]

izzyxlockgaurd‌:

Isabel stood with hands raised in the comfort of Jonas’ office, ignoring the fact that she was scared, but also excited to be learning with him. Her confiding in him for her anxiety and fears had only opened her up to feeling slightly more confident in learning magic. The support from Jonas yielded positive results most of the time, and any potential danger had usually been inflicted on herself. She breathed deep, pushing aside all thoughts and emotions other than calm. Calm was the spell she was looking for and that was what she was going to do. A thought crossed her mind about how odd the illusion of calm could come across, and she started to feel a tingling of sensation in her hands that spread across the upper half of her body down to her stomach, a single brow raising at the oddness of the feeling. 

@jonasoberlin​

“There you go—” Jonas was happily finding their practice leading to major strides and even improvements in both Isabel’s magical ability and emotional stability. He was more than grateful to be spending so much time with her as well, feeling as though there was a lot of room to grow between the two of them. As her brow lifted, Jonas’s soothing voice came through, hoping to secure her feelings in what was happening. “If you’re performing it correctly, if your thoughts are all lined up, the body should take on a second property, one in which there is a lightness to it, like you’re floating, with no support. It’s all you.”

[jonasoberlin-blog]

izzyxlockgaurd‌:

The tone of the whole session had been nothing but warm and inviting, and Isabel was delighted at the prospect of learning from someone who was open to teaching her. However, fear continued to lurk in the back of her mind and left a sinking feeling in her stomach that attempted to ignore. “You’re incredibly kind, Jonas. Thank you for listening to what I’ve said, even if most of it was kind of vague. Do you think you’ll be safe if you help me?” The last of her words were spoken almost as a whisper as she admitted her fear out loud. She hadn’t wanted to, but she was concerned about his safety and wanted to make sure he sure of helping. 

“I think that whatever details you feel comfortable sharing is okay. It it you who ends up ultimately processing through this, not me. And, of course. I’ll be careful and you will be careful as we go on this journey together.” He wasn’t sure what more he could say, wondering just how far this practice could go. He only hoped it held a brighter future for her. 

[jonasoberlin-blog]

izzyxlockgaurd‌:

Isabel settled her gaze on Jonas as he spoke, amused by his comment of not knowing where to start. It was overwhelming to not know what to do, however, his easy going manner certainly made it seem a little less so. “You have a knack of making this seem less scary than it would be if I were on my own. Not knowing where to start would be overwhelming in any other setting, and yet, you’re making me feel as though I’ve got it already.”  His offer to help her start learning basics of magic along with her therapy was a surprise, however, and she blinked back the sudden tears that were in her eyes. She hated crying, however, his offer seemed genuine. “I… I don’t even know how to say thank you enough, Jonas. If you’re willing to give it a shot with me, I would be willing to try. And, I think it would be good to have you a part of the beginning of it. Are you sure you want to try it? I mean, I definitely do. I’ve already told you more than I have ever told anyone about any of my struggles in my life. I trust you if you’re willing to try as well.”

“Getting started is always the hardest part of any journey Isabel. But, once you get going, it’s a lot easier to change directions and find a path that’s best suited for you.” His words of encouragement were only there to provide help to her, as she had sought it out, and Jonas was eager to see what came before her. His smile softened still as he looked to her graciously, seeing nothing but the kind soul behind her eyes. “I’d love nothing more than to help you. You’ve got a confidential listener right here, and I think it could be helpful in your growth to start out with something like this. It certainly seems like you’ve got so much going on, and that can weigh down on anybody. I want you to be able to trust me, and it seems like you’ve given me so much and opened up so much already. Thank you for sharing.”

[jonasoberlin-blog]

izzyxlockgaurd‌:

Isabel took his words into consideration. Sure, she had figured out some parts but even those parts had had a gentle push from the man in front of her. “I think it will be interesting to learn more about myself and what I can do. I want to do better and be better all the time, and magic is something I definitely can’t do on my own.” She let out a soft huff of air and lifted her gaze to his face for a moment. “Change takes time, I understand that. But I can be a bit of a perfectionist and that worries me.” She felt a small smile tug at the corners of her lips at her own admission. “I don’t even know where I would begin with learning magic. The community is wide here, I have a friend who mentioned finding someone to help. But again, it’s scary to not know who to trust and not trusting myself to not hurt them.” She tugged at her sleeve, a soft breath releasing from between her lips. 

“By far, perhaps one of the most interesting things you can do to learn about yourself, through magic.” He offered still, easily and gently, wanting her to take her own direction forward. He was only there to help her see a bigger picture, which it had seemed like he had already gotten that job done. “Worries can always be dealt with and processed through. And, there is no rush on perfectionism either. It already sounds like you’ve got a brilliant plan ahead of you, even if that includes admitting that you don’t know where to start.” Jonas added by the very end of her statement, giving her another soft grin. “Well, I’d be more than happy to help you find somebody. And...if you’d like, I could even start with the beginning details and such. It’s not a very common thing, therapy and magic, but I’ve been in the field long enough to know a thing or two, plus, if your magic’s as connected to your emotions as I suspect them to be, perhaps it would be good of you to start there anyways, that is, if you’d like?”

[jonasoberlin-blog]

izzyxlockgaurd‌:

The patience from Jonas was something Isabel needed and she could see why he was a popular choice for the locals to go to for help. The hand on her shoulder grounded her and his words helped her breathe a little more easily. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, knowing that she was safe in this office with him and that he wasn’t being judgmental in the slightest. When she opened her eyes again, she focused on Jonas. Observed him observing her while she worked on getting herself to calm down. “I haven’t even told you the beginning and you’ve already sorted out the root my problem.” The compliment was small, but it was one she genuinely meant. It helped her focus on the task of sorting herself out. “It’s easy to understand why things went so wrong for me so quickly as a child. You’re right, fear is a powerful thing that can manipulate a lot of aspects to a situation. I worked with illusion magic as a child and was catching on rather quick. It makes sense why things went so badly.” The words were rushed, as if admitting it out-loud to not only herself, Jonas as well, would solidify it more so. 

“You’ve sorted out a lot by yourself.” He added, not dismissing her contribution to the whole story, as she was able to be insightful and open with the things she was feeling. He simply nodded back, happy to see that she was taking the session better than when she first came in. “It sounds like you’ve been dealing with a lot of things too.” He eased up on her, letting go of her shoulder and finding a moment to breathe with her. “Learning about yourself is only going to help you grow and process through your past, and you’ve already made tremendous strides today. Change doesn’t happen overnight, but through a gradual process. Just remember that.”

[jonasoberlin-blog]

izzyxlockgaurd‌:

A fleeting moment of understanding crossed Isabel’s mind at Jonas’ words. Just normal fear could weave illusions in a persons mind in what they see in scary situations. Isabel often sent children to see therapists for that reason, and it was as if the moment that Jonas had spoke the words, her brain began to piece the puzzle together slowly. Her own fear of what had happened had probably only caused the damage to her younger sibling to be worse. In some part of her thoughts, she knew that as a child when things go wrong, calm isn’t something a younger person could maintain and panic usually took over. However, even at this understanding, a feeling of guilt crawled it’s way back into her thoughts and caused her heart to feel as though it was dropping. She opened her mouth to speak, finding herself unable to do so. Her fear had only fueled the magic to continue the path it had started on and she wasn’t sure how to confront that quite yet. Several emotions passed across Isabel, but there were three that had settled; horror, guilt, and shame. “I’m sorry, Jonas.” It was the only thing she could even slightly mumble out as she tried to sort her thoughts, get herself to breathe, and calm down. 

He watched her, sitting in the silence as he was easily able to do so, comfortably still with his hands crossed over his legs. It wasn’t something that you heard everyday, so he wanted to give her enough time to process it all, before even thinking about moving forward. It always wasn’t just something you moved forward from, it was something you had to grow with, and in this case, it seemed like Isabel was working on all of that. Jonas watched carefully, her slightly micro-expressions giving him a slight knowing smile as he only nodded towards her, before extending a hand out, leaning over and letting a short pat on her shoulder try to comfort her. It wasn’t usual for him, but he could relate to the situation quite well, knowing that the idea of power itself could be terrifying. “You’re okay Isabel. Everything is okay. You are here now, in my office, and we’re talking about some very difficult things. Whatever you’re feeling is valid. And you have nothing to be sorry for Isabel.”

[jonasoberlin-blog]

izzyxlockgaurd‌:

“I think I haven’t found anyone because I haven’t told anyone. I’m worried about the people I can trust, it’s been another cause for anxiety.” Isabel sighed, not sure if she felt relieved or more anxious about the topic at hand. His mention of magic being like emotions and fear alarmed her to a small degree. “So, fear could also be a potential reason for the outbursts of magic I can sometimes get. I guess that makes sense. When I think about it, it would explain a few things.” She sent a meek smile to Jonas and leaned forward a bit. “It concerns me that my worries could be making it worse. And fear is certainly something I feel whenever I have issues. Harming people is the exact opposite of what I want to happen.” 

“I see. Yeah, it’s hard to trust others when it seems like people maybe only want you for your power.” Jonas offered her a short nod, before scooting forward in his seat and leaning over as he brought his hands together over his knees. “Fear is very, very powerful, no matter if you have magic or not. Sometimes it can be cause for hysteria, auditory sensations, hallucinations, everything, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if fear took a hold of your magic and had it’s own way with it either.” He explained back. “Then, while there may be fear rooted in the power itself, perhaps learning to control the magic would help you feel more in control of the fear.”