Talking

ulric-on-the-strings:

wrapped-in-shadows:

ulric-on-the-strings:

Uh. Maybe? [Laughs nervously] I mean, it’s… I don’t know what it is yet, but… [Wry grin]

[Bites his lip for a moment, hesitating. If things were different, he’d be happy for his son, but time travel makes things so much more complicated.] … I won’t tell you not to see her, Ulric [even though he thinks it’s a bad idea] but for god’s sake, be careful. Remember, there’s still a lot we don’t know about how this works. [Nervous chuckle] You don’t want to accidentally change history, do you?

… Thanks Dad. really. [Talking like this is somehow harder than in person; hearing that makes him wish he could actually see Jack, and not just through a computer screen.] I will be. I mean, Gail keeps saying the same thing.

[Ulric’s not the only one who wishes they were speaking in person. Granted, Jack isn’t the most experienced man when it comes to matters of the heart, but he’d still try to give his son whatever advice he could.] Well, I’d listen to her. For once it sounds like she really does have your best interest in mind. [Weak chuckle, even though he’s always hated how much his children fight.]

Talking

ulric-on-the-strings:

wrapped-in-shadows:

ulric-on-the-strings:

I, uh. [Toying with his piercing, he looks just as nervous as he feels.] I might have met someone.

… Met someone? [In his unease, he keeps repeating things] Does that mean what I think it does? [And am seriously hoping it doesn’t]

Uh. Maybe? [Laughs nervously] I mean, it’s… I don’t know what it is yet, but… [Wry grin]

[Bites his lip for a moment, hesitating. If things were different, he’d be happy for his son, but time travel makes things so much more complicated.] … I won’t tell you not to see her, Ulric [even though he thinks it’s a bad idea] but for god’s sake, be careful. Remember, there’s still a lot we don’t know about how this works. [Nervous chuckle] You don’t want to accidentally change history, do you?

Talking

ulric-on-the-strings:

wrapped-in-shadows:

ulric-on-the-strings:

No, no, everything is fine. [After all these years it was so easy to recognize that look on his dad’s face, that tone in his voice.] Nothing bad’s happened. It’s, uh… kinda the opposite.

The opposite? [Poor guy, it takes him a moment to catch on after being rattled like that.] Ulric, maybe you’d better tell me everything. From the beginning.

I, uh. [Toying with his piercing, he looks just as nervous as he feels.] I might have met someone.

… Met someone? [In his unease, he keeps repeating things] Does that mean what I think it does? [And am seriously hoping it doesn’t]

Talking

ulric-on-the-strings:

wrapped-in-shadows:

ulric-on-the-strings:

If she’s still around then, I’ll have to do that! [Grins, going quiet.] Uh, about visiting, actually… [How to break this news.]

Ulric, what is it? [His tone turns serious almost immediately, worried.] Has something happened?

No, no, everything is fine. [After all these years it was so easy to recognize that look on his dad’s face, that tone in his voice.] Nothing bad’s happened. It’s, uh… kinda the opposite.

The opposite? [Poor guy, it takes him a moment to catch on after being rattled like that.] Ulric, maybe you’d better tell me everything. From the beginning.

Talking

ulric-on-the-strings:

wrapped-in-shadows:

ulric-on-the-strings:

Oh, you know who she is then? [Actually surprised – then again, Mom was always trying to get Dad out to meet new people.] Yeah, I mean, she does now. I don’t know about if she does still back home or not.

… Well, if you come home for a visit, you could look her up. She might get a kick out of that. [That, and it would bring Ulric home safe to the future, at least for a while.]

If she’s still around then, I’ll have to do that! [Grins, going quiet.] Uh, about visiting, actually… [How to break this news.]

Ulric, what is it? [His tone turns serious almost immediately, worried.] Has something happened?

Talking

ulric-on-the-strings:

wrapped-in-shadows:

ulric-on-the-strings:

I’ll just have to get used to it, though, huh? [Relaxes into the couch] Her name’s Lucille, actually. Don’t know if you know her but… [He shrugs] She’s got a great voice, so it’s great, being her backup.

Lucille … [He mulls the name over, trying to remember] I think I heard of her. She worked- I mean, works in a cabaret, right? [He may not have visited, but he heard his and Katelynn’s friends back then talk about her a few times]

Oh, you know who she is then? [Actually surprised – then again, Mom was always trying to get Dad out to meet new people.] Yeah, I mean, she does now. I don’t know about if she does still back home or not.

… Well, if you come home for a visit, you could look her up. She might get a kick out of that. [That, and it would bring Ulric home safe to the future, at least for a while.]

Talking

ulric-on-the-strings:

wrapped-in-shadows:

ulric-on-the-strings:

[Hearing the sincerity in his dad’s voice just makes the decision to accept the job even better, and Ulric grins, crossing his legs beneath his laptop.] At a club, one of the fancier places, accompanying the main singer. It’s kinda fun, actually, even if playing with more than one other person is still weird.

[Smiles as he listens] I know what you mean. It can be hard to figure out how to make your style work with someone else’s. [He thinks of the few times he’s collaborated with other painters, and some of the drama that ensued (on the other person’s part, of course!) when visions clashed.] Mind if I ask who the singer is? [He doubts he’ll recognize the name, since he wasn’t exactly into the music and clubbing scene back then, but he’s curious]

I’ll just have to get used to it, though, huh? [Relaxes into the couch] Her name’s Lucille, actually. Don’t know if you know her but… [He shrugs] She’s got a great voice, so it’s great, being her backup.

Lucille … [He mulls the name over, trying to remember] I think I heard of her. She worked- I mean, works in a cabaret, right? [He may not have visited, but he heard his and Katelynn’s friends back then talk about her a few times]

Talking

ulric-on-the-strings:

wrapped-in-shadows:

ulric-on-the-strings:

[Return message]

Yeah, really. [That hesitance wasn’t really a good sign, one that makes him hold onto his computer mouse a little tighter, but he continues on.] I’m actually getting paid to play! And it’s not just going down to the park and having people drop bills in my case, it’s actual work.

[Despite his worries, he is proud when he hears that. Jack knows all too well how hard it is to make a living through art, and the news that his son is succeeding in doing so is wonderful, even if it’s happening in another time and place.] Oh. Oh, that’s great! [From his tone, he means it this time] So where are you going to be working? At a club, or with a group, or what?

[Hearing the sincerity in his dad’s voice just makes the decision to accept the job even better, and Ulric grins, crossing his legs beneath his laptop.] At a club, one of the fancier places, accompanying the main singer. It’s kinda fun, actually, even if playing with more than one other person is still weird.

[Smiles as he listens] I know what you mean. It can be hard to figure out how to make your style work with someone else’s. [He thinks of the few times he’s collaborated with other painters, and some of the drama that ensued (on the other person’s part, of course!) when visions clashed.] Mind if I ask who the singer is? [He doubts he’ll recognize the name, since he wasn’t exactly into the music and clubbing scene back then, but he’s curious]

Talking

ulric-on-the-strings:

wrapped-in-shadows:

ulric-on-the-strings:

[Future set] Found a job!

[Messaging back]

Really? That’s … er, that’s great, Ulric. [Not sure what else to say. He wasn’t happy about the whole idea of Ulric going back in time in the first place, and hoped he’d get it out out of his system quickly and come home. Now it seems that’s not going to happen.] So what’s the job?

[Return message]

Yeah, really. [That hesitance wasn’t really a good sign, one that makes him hold onto his computer mouse a little tighter, but he continues on.] I’m actually getting paid to play! And it’s not just going down to the park and having people drop bills in my case, it’s actual work.

[Despite his worries, he is proud when he hears that. Jack knows all too well how hard it is to make a living through art, and the news that his son is succeeding in doing so is wonderful, even if it’s happening in another time and place.] Oh. Oh, that’s great! [From his tone, he means it this time] So where are you going to be working? At a club, or with a group, or what?