will-never-be-a-swan:

wrapped-in-shadows:

will-never-be-a-swan:

Still not looking at him, Katelynn winced a bit at his interpretation of her personality because she knew it was true but hearing it from his lips – it stung. “S-Sure love…I mean..i-if you want you can come to the condo he gave us to meet him there?”

She wasn’t sure how else to tell him about the third present and scrunched her shoulders together to await whatever words he was prepared to throw at her. That wasn’t even including the conditions.

Jack froze in his seat as he heard the words she tried to slip in. “W-wait, he gave us a condo?” He didn’t sound angry or worried, just shocked. His first instinct was to say ‘no’ outright, but he wanted to hear the rest of the story.

She nodded her head slowly, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. “He transported me to his condo and said he was moving out and if I wanted it..I mean we’ve been saving to get a b-bigger place and he wouldn’t take no for an answer even though I said I couldn’t thank him enough so he um..set a condition in exchange for him to be allowed to sleep over when he needs it…”

Oh god…this is nerve wrecking..I..I didn’t see anything wrong with it at first but he’s..I guess I should have thought he wouldn’t be happy with this..? She bit her lip, turning her face away to hide how scared she was.

Okay, that was a little easier to swallow. If this guy had been planning to move out anyway, offering the place to a friend was a reasonable thing to do. The condition seemed reasonable too. If the person who’d made this offer had been … well, normal, Jack would have been thrilled.

As it was, he was still willing to hear more.

“I-it’s a nice offer, I have to admit,” he said. “I’d still like to meet him before we decide anything, though.”

will-never-be-a-swan:

wrapped-in-shadows:

will-never-be-a-swan:

The words died on her lips for a moment as all the color transferred itself to her cheeks, leaving her pale everywhere else. Fidgeting in her seat and playing with the hem of her shirt, Katelynn couldn’t believe it had gone from bad to good so quickly. Her head lowered until her hair blanketed around her, trying to cocoon her away from the situation.

“A..A few weeks I suppose..I met him thanks to another friend..both of them are demons and just..the times I was around them they seemed like they were content to just be..trying to achieve dreams here in Metro City..one was looking for a bride in fact and it just sounded so sweet..” she whispered, not wishing to hide any information from him.

It didn’t sound sweet to Jack. While he had learned a lot about mythology and spirituality, both from his parents and for his own curiosity, it hadn’t included much about demons. Most of what he knew about them came filtered through pop culture, and he had never heard of a single story where a demon looking for a bride was a good thing.

“K-Katelynn, I don’t want to doubt you. M-maybe he really is nice. But you t-tend to see good in everyone, even w-when it isn’t really there.” He swallowed nervously. “Do you think I could meet him? I should thank him for the painting, at least.” And he could form his own opinion of him at the same time.

Still not looking at him, Katelynn winced a bit at his interpretation of her personality because she knew it was true but hearing it from his lips – it stung. “S-Sure love…I mean..i-if you want you can come to the condo he gave us to meet him there?”

She wasn’t sure how else to tell him about the third present and scrunched her shoulders together to await whatever words he was prepared to throw at her. That wasn’t even including the conditions.

Jack froze in his seat as he heard the words she tried to slip in. “W-wait, he gave us a condo?” He didn’t sound angry or worried, just shocked. His first instinct was to say ‘no’ outright, but he wanted to hear the rest of the story.

will-never-be-a-swan:

wrapped-in-shadows:

will-never-be-a-swan:

And now the happiness was beginning to drain from her as well and knowing why her heart had been pounding so strongly within her rib cage. “H-He isn’t bad love, I-I swear..” she tried soothing him, placing a hand on his arm and now afraid to tell him the third gift. But the condo couldn’t just sit there if he was nice enough to give it to them.

Her touch on his arm made him feel a little better, but not much. “H-how do you know that, Katelynn? How long have you known him?” He didn’t want to come right out and say, You’ve been wrong about people before, but he was definitely thinking it.

The words died on her lips for a moment as all the color transferred itself to her cheeks, leaving her pale everywhere else. Fidgeting in her seat and playing with the hem of her shirt, Katelynn couldn’t believe it had gone from bad to good so quickly. Her head lowered until her hair blanketed around her, trying to cocoon her away from the situation.

“A..A few weeks I suppose..I met him thanks to another friend..both of them are demons and just..the times I was around them they seemed like they were content to just be..trying to achieve dreams here in Metro City..one was looking for a bride in fact and it just sounded so sweet..” she whispered, not wishing to hide any information from him.

It didn’t sound sweet to Jack. While he had learned a lot about mythology and spirituality, both from his parents and for his own curiosity, it hadn’t included much about demons. Most of what he knew about them came filtered through pop culture, and he had never heard of a single story where a demon looking for a bride was a good thing.

“K-Katelynn, I don’t want to doubt you. M-maybe he really is nice. But you t-tend to see good in everyone, even w-when it isn’t really there.” He swallowed nervously. “Do you think I could meet him?I should thank him for the painting, at least.” And he could form his own opinion of him at the same time.

will-never-be-a-swan:

wrapped-in-shadows:

will-never-be-a-swan:

Her heart was pounding rather loudly in her ears and she wasn’t sure why, walking over to sit next to him with her ever present smile. “A friend gave it to me when I was out one day..he’s um..a demon but he’s really kind,” she tried explaining, nibbling on her bottom lip nervously in case he immediately jumped at the word to think the man a villain.

“He..He told me Da Vinci had painted him in his female form..being a demon and all..he’s genderless. I told him you loved paintings and had it lying around..so..he gave it to me to give to you..”

Jack’s smile instantly faded. Some of the color drained from his face as he turned to look at Katelynn, still holding the painting. “A d-demon?” That would definitely explain how this person would have gotten hold of a painting that would probably be worth a fortune, if it were known who had painted it. But having it in his possession now made him nervous.

And now the happiness was beginning to drain from her as well and knowing why her heart had been pounding so strongly within her rib cage. “H-He isn’t bad love, I-I swear..” she tried soothing him, placing a hand on his arm and now afraid to tell him the third gift. But the condo couldn’t just sit there if he was nice enough to give it to them.

Her touch on his arm made him feel a little better, but not much. “H-how do you know that, Katelynn? How long have you known him?” He didn’t want to come right out and say, You’ve been wrong about people before, but he was definitely thinking it.

will-never-be-a-swan:

wrapped-in-shadows:

He was about to ask more, when she held out the gift. He took it, sat on one of the beanbags with the large, somewhat awkward object balanced on his knee and began delicately removing the paper – Jack of all people recognized a wrapped-up painting when he saw one, and he knew the need to be very careful in unwrapping it.

When he saw what was inside, he gasped.

“K-K-Katelynn …” For a moment, he just gaped. A da Vinci? An authentic one? The Renaissance painter was one of Jack’s heroes not only in terms of art, but when it came to creativity in general. His works were considered treasures. “H-how did you get this?” He hardly dared even touch it.

Her heart was pounding rather loudly in her ears and she wasn’t sure why, walking over to sit next to him with her ever present smile. “A friend gave it to me when I was out one day..he’s um..a demon but he’s really kind,” she tried explaining, nibbling on her bottom lip nervously in case he immediately jumped at the word to think the man a villain.

“He..He told me Da Vinci had painted him in his female form..being a demon and all..he’s genderless. I told him you loved paintings and had it lying around..so..he gave it to me to give to you..”

Jack’s smile instantly faded. Some of the color drained from his face as he turned to look at Katelynn, still holding the painting. “A d-demon?” That would definitely explain how this person would have gotten hold of a painting that would probably be worth a fortune, if it were known who had painted it. But having it in his possession now made him nervous.

will-never-be-a-swan:

wrapped-in-shadows:

Jack hugged her as he was all but pounced on – whatever had made her nervous, it was clearly something very good. He took the card, looking over it curiously, but couldn’t keep from smiling. “Really? Oh, th-that’s great! I’ll have to meet with her as soon as possible.” He would have asked more about this new friend, but he wanted to hear the rest of Katelynn’s news.

She nodded happily as she felt a few bursts of warmth spring out to soothingly warm her chest, pleased with his reactions so far. In a way it was sort of embarrassing as well since she felt like a puppy who wanted to please her master. Blushing at the thought, she brushed some bangs out of her eyes. “I-I told her you were working on something else at the moment and she was pretty understanding about it. She wants a l-landscape painting but you guys can discuss that..since she’ll be your client.”

Helping to spread his name was a pleasure for her since painting was his passion and somehow she imagined his future filled with fancy parties where he would dress in expensive suits, drink wine, and talk about art with critics – but then again he might have already done that in New York.

“Now then..the next surprise..” she whispered as she moved from his arms to where she had hidden the large, rather thin, wrapped gift, taking it out from its hiding spot and holding it in front of herself. “H-Here..” A Leonardi da Vinci original of a woman with a rather secretive smile that appeared almost like the Mona Lisa but different and unique.

He was about to ask more, when she held out the gift. He took it, sat on one of the beanbags with the large, somewhat awkward object balanced on his knee and began delicately removing the paper – Jack of all people recognized a wrapped-up painting when he saw one, and he knew the need to be very careful in unwrapping it.

When he saw what was inside, he gasped.

“K-K-Katelynn …” For a moment, he just gaped. A da Vinci? An authentic one? The Renaissance painter was one of Jack’s heroes not only in terms of art, but when it came to creativity in general. His works were considered treasures. “H-how did you get this?” He hardly dared even touch it.

will-never-be-a-swan:

wrapped-in-shadows:

will-never-be-a-swan:

She practically bounced on the balls of her feet as she waited for Jack to show up, his present tucked away behind some things. Excitement and butterflies flipped, flopped and few around her stomach that it practically choked the air out of her lungs but she tried taking some deep breaths to calm down, hoping in a sense he wouldn’t be cross over the free gift and the condition that had been set for owning it. “I can do this..” she whispered as she pressed a hand to her stomach, hoping to calm it.

Jack arrived soon enough. He’d spent the afternoon at the city library, looking up details on Japanese clothing and the Tanabata festival, and had come back with a full set of notes and sketches that he hoped to incorporate into Ezayne’s commission. When he entered, he noticed that Katelynn seemed antsy about something. “Are you all right?”

She practically jumped into his arms in her excitement when she saw him, looking up with a pleased smile on her face. “I have..a few surprises for you,” she whispered, happy that she could do this for him. After so many months of giving him so much grief she was doing something she hoped would please him instead.

“I-I’ll go least to biggest though.” Bringing out Sara’s card, she handed it over to him. “I brought a n-new friend to the apartment and showed her your artwork. She asked for a commission.”

Jack hugged her as he was all but pounced on – whatever had made her nervous, it was clearly something very good. He took the card, looking over it curiously, but couldn’t keep from smiling. “Really? Oh, th-that’s great! I’ll have to meet with her as soon as possible.” He would have asked more about this new friend, but he wanted to hear the rest of Katelynn’s news.