“I don’t know much about hair,” Harrison said bluntly, “being that I have none of it myself. But I always have plenty of opinions.” And he shrugged at the blue man across from him.
They certainly weren’t going to be BFFs any time soon. But Harrison had discovered a side of the blue artist that was certainly tolerable, if not a little bit enjoyable.
While they could have stayed and talked some more, Jack had a feeling it was better to end things now. He’d said what he had to say, and if he was reading Harrison right, he’d managed to improve the other man’s opinion of him, at least a little.
“And I’d be glad to hear more of them, but I probably shouldn’t keep you any longer,” he said, with a small smile. “We can talk some more when you come visit. Just let Katelynn and I know when a good time is, and we’ll be happy to have you.”
“Yes, yes, I must get back to the office,” Harrison agreed, happy to keep this visit short. “Business won’t run itself. But I’ll be in touch,” he said as he stood and buttoned his coat. For Katelynn’s sake, he thought.
Tag: resolution RP
Resolution
“Sure,” Harrison said with a shrug. “I have a lot of experience with planning large events, you know. And I’ve made it clear to Katelynn that I’m happy to help her, even with the more girly side of things. If for example dress shopping makes you want to slit your own wrists.”
Jack shook his head, with a wry smile. “I don’t mind shopping, I’m just not very good at it. I have an eye for color and line when it comes to painting, but clothes? Not so much.” That, and he tended to think Katelynn looked lovely in anything, which made him a bad judge. “She might also appreciate some thoughts on how to fix her hair. She’s shown me some ideas, and they’re all nice, but she needs a more discerning eye to narrow it down.”
“I don’t know much about hair,” Harrison said bluntly, “being that I have none of it myself. But I always have plenty of opinions.” And he shrugged at the blue man across from him.
They certainly weren’t going to be BFFs any time soon. But Harrison had discovered a side of the blue artist that was certainly tolerable, if not a little bit enjoyable.
While they could have stayed and talked some more, Jack had a feeling it was better to end things now. He’d said what he had to say, and if he was reading Harrison right, he’d managed to improve the other man’s opinion of him, at least a little.
“And I’d be glad to hear more of them, but I probably shouldn’t keep you any longer,” he said, with a small smile. “We can talk some more when you come visit. Just let Katelynn and I know when a good time is, and we’ll be happy to have you."
Resolution
“And really,” Harrison said, leaning back in his chair now that his drink was finished. ”Isn’t that what’s important in life? I love what I do, I would never want to do anything else. If you have a career you love, a woman you love, then I think you’re doing it right.”
Jack smiled. “That’s true as well. I count myself lucky every day that I met Katelynn. There’s so much in my life that’s she’s changed.” In the back of his mind, he made a note, I should put that in my vows.
“… I was wondering,” he went on, a little hesitant. “W-would you like to come over to our place sometime? I’m sure Katelynn would love to see you, and we could talk some more about the wedding plans.”
“Sure,” Harrison said with a shrug. “I have a lot of experience with planning large events, you know. And I’ve made it clear to Katelynn that I’m happy to help her, even with the more girly side of things. If for example dress shopping makes you want to slit your own wrists.”
Jack shook his head, with a wry smile. “I don’t mind shopping, I’m just not very good at it. I have an eye for color and line when it comes to painting, but clothes? Not so much.” That, and he tended to think Katelynn looked lovely in anything, which made him a bad judge. “She might also appreciate some thoughts on how to fix her hair. She’s shown me some ideas, and they’re all nice, but she needs a more discerning eye to narrow it down."
Resolution
Harrison certainly wasn’t going to agree with him that the confidence gene seemed to have skipped his pool all together. Instead he simply shrugged. “It’s immensely flattering to hear that anyone envies me, but I think we all have our strengths and weaknesses. I, for one, am excellent at drawing up technical specs and blue prints but actual art? Atrocious! And I like it that way. Just think how terribly dull it would be if we were all the same.” And he made a face.
That got a more genuine chuckle out of Jack. Now that the two of them were finally talking openly, he’d started to feel that they really were clearing the air. “You have a point there. I may not know anything about running a business or arranging security detail, but I’m a good artist, and I like what I do.”
“And really,” Harrison said, leaning back in his chair now that his drink was finished. ”Isn’t that what’s important in life? I love what I do, I would never want to do anything else. If you have a career you love, a woman you love, then I think you’re doing it right.”
Jack smiled. “That’s true as well. I count myself lucky every day that I met Katelynn. There’s so much in my life that’s she’s changed.” In the back of his mind, he made a note, I should put that in my vows.
“… I was wondering,” he went on, a little hesitant. “W-would you like to come over to our place sometime? I’m sure Katelynn would love to see you, and we could talk some more about the wedding plans."
Resolution
Harrison frowns and exhales at that. He’d never considered that there might be a reason for Jack’s stammering shyness, that it might in fact have been a defense mechanism against a world that was often nasty and cruel to him as a child. Now he feels a little bit guilty for having judged him so harshly.
“It doesn’t bother me to hear about it, though I certainly won’t press the issue,” Harrison replied thoughtfully. ”We’ve all had our crosses to bear. Being raised in a prison kept me away from most of that kind of thing, but I can’t deny being a little jealous that you got such loving adoptive parents. You’re very lucky,” he confessed.
A hint of embarrassed color rose in Jack’s cheeks. “I have to admit, I never, ever thought I’d hear you say you were jealous of me.” He was too ashamed to meet Harrison’s eyes as he added, “I’m the one who’s always envied you. You’ve accomplished so much, and it’s so easy for you to be confident.” He gave short, weak chuckle. “Sometimes I think I’m the only one of the blue people who had that left out of them.”
Harrison certainly wasn’t going to agree with him that the confidence gene seemed to have skipped his pool all together. Instead he simply shrugged. “It’s immensely flattering to hear that anyone envies me, but I think we all have our strengths and weaknesses. I, for one, am excellent at drawing up technical specs and blue prints but actual art? Atrocious! And I like it that way. Just think how terribly dull it would be if we were all the same.” And he made a face.
That got a more genuine chuckle out of Jack. Now that the two of them were finally talking openly, he’d started to feel that they really were clearing the air. “You have a point there. I may not know anything about running a business or arranging security detail, but I’m a good artist, and I like what I do.”
Resolution
“Because you’re blue or because you were some kind of demon child?” Harrison asked, fairly certain he already knew the answer. But maybe Jack and been an infant hellraiser…. that would raise his estimate of the man a little.
“The first one.” He closed his eyes as painful memories came back. “Although one of my f-first foster moms did call me a demon sometimes. I was eight when the Maples adopted me, and by then I was so afraid of people, it took me a week to say one word to them.”
The blue artist straightened up sharply. “L-look, I’m sure you don’t want to hear about this. We both know the world isn’t kind to people who are different, and I’d rather not dwell on it.”
Harrison frowns and exhales at that. He’d never considered that there might be a reason for Jack’s stammering shyness, that it might in fact have been a defense mechanism against a world that was often nasty and cruel to him as a child. Now he feels a little bit guilty for having judged him so harshly.
“It doesn’t bother me to hear about it, though I certainly won’t press the issue,” Harrison replied thoughtfully. ”We’ve all had our crosses to bear. Being raised in a prison kept me away from most of that kind of thing, but I can’t deny being a little jealous that you got such loving adoptive parents. You’re very lucky,” he confessed.
A hint of embarrassed color rose in Jack’s cheeks. “I have to admit, I never, ever thought I’d hear you say you were jealous of me.” He was too ashamed to meet Harrison’s eyes as he added, “I’m the one who’s always envied you. You’ve accomplished so much, and it’s so easy for you to be confident.” He gave short, weak chuckle. “Sometimes I think I’m the only one of the blue people who had that left out of them."
Resolution
“Good,” Harrison nodded approvingly. ”She’s a good girl and she deserves to have a family that loves her, not that horrible wretch who only made her feel bad about herself. You’re both lucky on that note,” he added, thinking for a moment of Wayne’s struggles. Lord Scott never even bothered to meet him before writing him and his son off.
Jack watched him quietly for a moment. He hadn’t followed every detail on the news about Wayne Scott being disowned by his family, but he’d heard enough that he knew this topic might hit close to home for Harrison. “You’re right, we are lucky. But my parents are very loving people.” He gave a dry, bitter chuckle. “They had to be, to take in a child like me.”
“Because you’re blue or because you were some kind of demon child?” Harrison asked, fairly certain he already knew the answer. But maybe Jack and been an infant hellraiser…. that would raise his estimate of the man a little.
“The first one.” He closed his eyes as painful memories came back. “Although one of my f-first foster moms did call me a demon sometimes. I was eight when the Maples adopted me, and by then I was so afraid of people, it took me a week to say one word to them."
The blue artist straightened up sharply. "L-look, I’m sure you don’t want to hear about this. We both know the world isn’t kind to people who are different, and I’d rather not dwell on it."
Resolution
Harrison’s face softened. “She didn’t tell me,” he said quietly “Though from what I’ve heard about her mother from others, I don’t blame her. This might be prying, but has your family met her? Do they like her?”
That got a smile out of him. “Yes, they like her a lot. When she was in the hospital last December, they came with me and visited her.” Just remembering that visit – how he’d introduced them, and how the elder Maples had taken to Katelynn like their own child – warmed him even more than the cocoa.
“Even before she lost her mother,” he said quietly, “Katelynn didn’t really have any family. But my parents already consider her part of ours.”
“Good,” Harrison nodded approvingly. ”She’s a good girl and she deserves to have a family that loves her, not that horrible wretch who only made her feel bad about herself. You’re both lucky on that note,” he added, thinking for a moment of Wayne’s struggles. Lord Scott never even bothered to meet him before writing him and his son off.
Jack watched him quietly for a moment. He hadn’t followed every detail on the news about Wayne Scott being disowned by his family, but he’d heard enough that he knew this topic might hit close to home for Harrison. “You’re right, we are lucky. But my parents are very loving people.” He gave a dry, bitter chuckle. “They had to be, to take in a child like me."
Resolution
He nodded and sipped on the last of his cocoa as well. ”Do you have any family on this planet Jack? I know Katelynn’s mother is not exactly… stable so she isn’t a part of Katey’s life.”
Jack bit his lip. “Katelynn’s mother actually died this s-spring.” For a moment, as a pang of guilt shot through him, his stutter came back. “She … hell, I’ll c-come right out and say it, she was a horrible person. But it still hurt Katelynn a lot. She doesn’t like to talk about it, so … I just wanted to warn you.”
He swallowed uncomfortably. “But yes, I have family. My adoptive parents, Aloysius and Bonnie Maple.”
Harrison’s face softened. “She didn’t tell me,” he said quietly “Though from what I’ve heard about her mother from others, I don’t blame her. This might be prying, but has your family met her? Do they like her?”
That got a smile out of him. “Yes, they like her a lot. When she was in the hospital last December, they came with me and visited her.” Just remembering that visit – how he’d introduced them, and how the elder Maples had taken to Katelynn like their own child – warmed him even more than the cocoa.
“Even before she lost her mother,” he said quietly, “Katelynn didn’t really have any family. But my parents already consider her part of ours."
Resolution
Harrison would much rather wedding plan with Katelynn without Jack there thank-you-very-much, but he shrugs and says, “Sure. I did tell her I would do anything in my power to be helpful. Have you two picked attendants yet? I never mind dress shopping.”
“Well, Katelynn’s told me she’d like her friend Six to walk her down the aisle. And I don’t have many male friends, but I wouldn’t mind having Bernard Jones as my best man. Beyond that, we’re still deciding.”
Jack finished his hot chocolate, and nudged the mug away. “I really do appreciate all your help, Mr. Drake. Katelynn and I don’t have any real experience planning parties, and neither does anyone in our families. We’re glad for any and all advice.”
He nodded and sipped on the last of his cocoa as well. ”Do you have any family on this planet Jack? I know Katelynn’s mother is not exactly… stable so she isn’t a part of Katey’s life.”
Jack bit his lip. “Katelynn’s mother actually died this s-spring.” For a moment, as a pang of guilt shot through him, his stutter came back. “She … hell, I’ll c-come right out and say it, she was a horrible person. But it still hurt Katelynn a lot. She doesn’t like to talk about it, so … I just wanted to warn you.”
He swallowed uncomfortably. “But yes, I have family. My adoptive parents, Aloysius and Bonnie Maple."
Jack Maple 