[ that first bit gives him a little pause. his parents — his mother especially — did always encourage him to pursue education to a point that was sometimes suffocating, but his dad... ]
[ they're similar in a lot of ways, jack has come to learn. maybe that's why the differences feel so sharp. the almost disdain for what they pushed jack to be, even incidentally, cuts pretty deep. ]
According to a feller who works at the school in town. I dunno if I even believe it though.
[ Jack's place in this world (or maybe lack thereof) will always be John's sin to bear. Is there even a chance for Jack considering his parents and their pasts? It's kept John awake more often than not... but many other things do too.
The boy should be more important than that. He is. John's gone through flaming hoops and three-ring circuses for his family. That should surely be enough to have shown he cares is dedicated to his family: much more than the soft-spoken stuff. None of that ever came naturally to him. ]
Someone's telling you that you're smarter than everyone in town? That's just words.
Probably a breath away from asking you to do something. If they want something from you, you make sure they pay you for it or give you something. Flattery doesn't pay debts.
@doubts_and_scars
[ they're similar in a lot of ways, jack has come to learn. maybe that's why the differences feel so sharp. the almost disdain for what they pushed jack to be, even incidentally, cuts pretty deep. ]
According to a feller who works at the school in town. I dunno if I even believe it though.
many thanks for the overflow!
The boy should be more important than that. He is. John's gone through flaming hoops and three-ring circuses for his family. That should surely be enough to have shown he
caresis dedicated to his family: much more than the soft-spoken stuff. None of that ever came naturally to him. ]Someone's telling you that you're smarter than everyone in town? That's just words.
Probably a breath away from asking you to do something. If they want something from you, you make sure they pay you for it or give you something. Flattery doesn't pay debts.