Scene Summary: What Makes a Man II

What Makes a Man II
Chronicle	New York Chronicle
Game Date	December 12, 2014
Real Date	December 4, 2015
Characters	Ian Kross Olivia Roth
Locations	Ventrue Correctional Facility
Previous Scene	We All Want to Go Home (Ian) What Makes a Man (Olivia)
Next Scene	All That Remains (Ian) Everything Comes Down to This (Olivia)
Content Warnings	Captivity, Suicide
Original Scene	What Makes a Man II

What Makes a Man II is a scene from the New York Chronicle featuring Ian Kross and Olivia Roth. It depicts Ian grudgingly agreeing to undergo therapy with Olivia as his psychiatrist.

Scene Summary

Olivia enters Ian's cell at the Ventrue Correctional facility, where he is lying silently on the bed, and closes the door behind her. She greets him and is not surprised when he does not respond, thinking back to his recent bereavement and violent response to it. She sits down at his desk and offers him her condolences, asking him to tell her how he is doing right now. He answers that he is in a cell. When she asks if they can begin, he asks if he has a choice, to which she replies that he always does. He agrees and she begins to ask him questions.

Ian admits that he has been suicidal and has also thought frequently about hurting others, but his abrasive tone causes Olivia to pause the session, especially after he repeats that he thinks the therapy is pointless. He fails to use Olivia's title, prompting her to correct him and tell him that his only options are to go through therapy with her until she recommends his release, or wait for his sire Marcus Aurelius to destroy him instead. She reminds him that Marcus doesn't share her patience or sympathy for him, to which he replies that he doesn't want her sympathy.

Olivia begins to leave, making it to the door before Ian relents and agrees that he barely prefers therapy to being dead. Olivia looks him over and then tells him her terms and boundaries, including the fact that he is not allowed to touch or use powers on her, and that she will instantly end any session in which he threatens her. He agrees and she thanks him and tries to leave again for the evening, but he stops her, asking what she wants from him. She places the journal she has asked him to write in on his bed and tells him that the truth is a good place to start before leaving for the night.

Script Summary

The script summary for this scene pares it down to only dialogue and action directions, allowing for a quicker and easier read through what was actually said and done by the characters. Click on the "Expand" tag to the right to view the entire script summary for this scene.

What Makes a Man Script Summary

Olivia enters Ian's cell in the Ventrue Correctional Facility. Ian is lying motionless on the bed. She closes the door behind her.

OLIVIA: Good evening, Mr. Kross.

|She pulls out the desk chair and sits down.

OLIVIA: This is our eighth session together. I realize that you are still processing your recent loss. I would like to take a step back from history questions and focus instead on where you are right now.

There is a moment of silence.

IAN: I'm in a cell.

Olivia makes a note.

OLIVIA: May we begin?

IAN: Do I have a choice?

OLIVIA: You always have a choice, Mr. Kross.

Ian grumbles.

IAN: Go on then.

OLIVIA: Thank you.

Olivia organizes her notes.

OLIVIA: In the past week, have you had thoughts of harming yourself?

Ian laughs.

IAN: What do you think?

OLIVIA: What I think is irrelevant.

IAN: Well, then there's one place we agree.

OLIVIA: I see.

She makes a note.

OLIVIA: And what about harming others?

IAN: Currently?

OLIVIA: In the past—

IAN: If so, then yes. You can jot that down, too. Often, even. Constantly.

Olivia sighs.

OLIVIA: Mr. Kross, I find your tone unnecessary.

IAN: Really? I find this whole goddamn thing unnecessary, Ms. Roth.

He gets up and Olivia looks up at him.

OLIVIA: Doctor.

IAN: What?

OLIVIA: You mispronounced the word doctor, Mr. Kross. In our previous sessions, I have tried to build rapport with you. That was a mistake, and I apologize for it. Let me explain this to you plainly, so there's no misunderstanding: I will visit you here in your cell once a week for therapy, until either I decide that it's safe for you to reenter society, at which time you will be free to go... or Marcus decides that it's not safe, and has you destroyed.

Ian starts to speak and she holds up a hand.

OLIVIA: I have no problem with your silence. I will continue to come down here, every week, until you talk to me or until you are dead. But Marcus doesn't have my patience. Or my sympathy for your situation.

IAN: Fuck your sympathy!

Olivia sighs.

OLIVIA: Again. Unnecessary.

She gathers her notes and stands up, walking to the door of the cell.

IAN: Fine. If it's the only way out of here.

Olivia pauses and turns to face him.

IAN: If it's between this and an urn, I'll take this. Barely.

OLIVIA: Your reluctant agreement is noted. Now let me give you my terms.

Ian starts to speak and she holds up a hand.

OLIVIA: Silence is not a problem for me, but antagonism and veiled threats certainly are. If you raise your voice to me, attempt to threaten me, or act in any way that makes me feel uncomfortable, our session will immediately be over for the week. If you ever put your hands on me or use your disciplines on me, our therapy will be over permanently. Do you understand?

There is a pause.

IAN: Yeah. Fair enough.

OLIVIA: Good. I'm glad. I look forward to working with you. Enjoy the rest of your evening, Mr. Kross.

IAN: Wait! I thought we — Shit. What do you want? Just — just tell me what you want to know and let me out of here.

Olivia pauses, then walks to his desk and picks up his journal.

OLIVIA: The truth is always a good place to start.

She puts the journal on the end of his bed.

OLIVIA: Only you know what that is.

She nods at Ian and leaves the cell.

Trivia

• The recent loss Olivia refers to is the news of Maeve Glaistig's reported death; Ian and Maeve were romantically involved.
  
  
• Olivia thinks that there was "a small miscalculation" regarding Ian's former assistant; she is referring to Evelyn Summerfield being frightened and mildly injured when giving Ian the news of Maeve's death.
  
  
• Olivia's suggestion of using his journal in this scene finally causes Ian to write the Journal of Ian Kross.