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 Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 8:43 am
On this particular day, on this most momentous of days, a rather tall and stately sort of man found his way off the boat and onto the pier of a prestigious school. It had taken weeks of correspondence to reach this point, and a final decision that had brought it to the edge. No longer could this charade go on, for once the truth was known, it had to be brought to light. And what better way than to bring it to light himself? To redeem himself of all the ill will he had done a particular boy in the past? As he stepped off the boat, he brushed off his jacket and smoothed down his golden brown hair, flecked with gray. He seemed to be a man of status, but his expression wasn't one of high class, but one of mysterious concern and quiet secret.
It looked as though this particular man had led a very troubled life for the last few years, and that he had not been exempt of the affects it had on his stature and look. For all he looked to be a man of manners and nobility, there was a sort of slouch to his posture, and a laid back glow in his eyes that indicated some misfortune of the past. He had come here for one purpose, and one alone: to find his son. He wasn't going to take his son away from here, good gracious no! Instead, he merely wanted to see the boy. To hold onto his only child, the child his beloved wife, may she rest in peace, left him.
And as he looked out onto the island, he knew that someone would soon approach him and lead him to his destination, after which he could find his son. His boy, who must be so grown now... who must be such a fine young man...
A boy by the name of Nathaniel Jacobson.
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Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 10:40 pm
While the man had been immensely surprised to find the unfamiliar other to be alive and well, he had not been displeased. In fact, once he had found Mr. Jacobson, he had fairly insisted upon a meeting; it was lucky that the other had wanted the same, as the Headmaster would have been loathe to have that discussion with his student.
That was how Norman found himself walking purposely towards the harbor. There was no one who could handle this but himself, as the matter was delicate, and he had to make sure the other man's intentions were true and to the best interests of Nathaniel. The student was his responsibility, both in being taken care of and being looked out for whether he realized it or not. He wanted only the best for his students, and Nathaniel was no exception.
He wore his standard charcol suit despite the steadily warming weather. Deep chestnut hair wafted out of his dark blue eyes as he approached the boat that had docked, already spying the one he was to meet. Norman sincerely hoped the meeting would be agreeable, for Nathaniel's sake. Wiping his eye piece and fixing it over one half of his brilliant gaze, he approached the grown man, extending his hand with a warm smile.
"Mr. Jacobson, I presume? I'm Norman Prinwaltz. Welcome to ShinKami."
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Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 11:01 pm
His dark eyes grazed over the entire island, taking in the scenery and feeling rather out of place, not that he would show it. There had to be some amount of status left. After another moment, he glanced back towards the water behind him and vaguely wondered what his son was doing at this moment. Son. How long had it been since he'd thought that word? How long had it been since he'd even knew he'd had a son? His memory was only just falling back into places, forcing painful fits into a broken puzzled heart. His soul was singed with the illness of his past but could gain no reprieve from fragile moments of time.
Just then he heard another approach and turned around calmly to come face to face with the man called Norman. The Headmaster, he presumed, from the way he was dressed. Alexander Jacobson gave a forlorn smile and held out his hand as well. The smile spoke of everything he could not say, nay, dared not say aloud. The sorrow, the joy, the anxiety, the nervousness, the depression, the fear. It spoke everything without any words. In this aspect, it was easy to see that the apple did not fall far from the tree. Like father like son.
His hand clasped firmly around the other man's, wishing that he himself looked as upstanding as the other man did. It was weird for him to feel out of place, but that was just who he'd become now. Straightening his jacket with a slight shrug of his shoulders, he held the grip firm, eyes brimming with curiosity about this man.
"Yes. Alexander Jacobson. It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Prinwaltz. Thank you for coming to greet me..." But he knew that that wasn't everything he was thankful for today. There would be that and so much more if all went well. So very much more.
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Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2009 12:55 pm
Indeed, the other man's expression spoke much to him as he took his offered hand. He wasn't yet sure what to make of it, reading so much on that sad face, one worn with time and knowledge. Norman had seen many faces wear the same expression, but that had been years ago, in the Forest of Mana. Loss, mixed hope and resignation, fear...these were things he hoped to erase before their meeting was over.
With a firm shake and a gentle smile, Norman extended his free hand towards the grounds. "It is my pleasure to meet you, Mr. Jacobson, and you may call me Norman if you please. We have many personal issues to discuss and it would do no good to speak so formally when trying to speak from the heart. Please, walk with me." Arms relaxed at his side, he began a slow pace towards the school, towards his office, but with ease. He would let Alexander take in the sights, to see the world his son had been a part of; it was only fair.
"Nathaniel is a wonderful cook," he started off amicably, thinking of the things the student had told him of his past and his enjoyments, "quite the cookie baker, I'm proud to say. He also has a fine taste for tea. Do you enjoy tea?" In his own way, the Headmaster was getting around to the discussion they would have, but much like his trajectory of walking, he was in no hurry nor was he taking the known and fastest path. Sometimes, one had to walk in the darkness to find the light, and he had the distinct feeling the man at his side had done just that.
There was no need to hurry through the light of the afternoon and the joyous calls of students between classes. He knew that Nathaniel wouldn't be amongst them, but he was more concerned about Alexander getting a feel for the school, for the life his son had been living in his absence. It was important to him that the other understood the life his son now lead as opposed to what he once knew. People changed, and the father had to be prepared for the loneliness and isolation his son had put upon himself, things that he was anticipating to change.
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Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2009 2:10 pm
Within the first few moments of their destined meeting, Alexander could already tell the kind and gentle patience that this man held in his heart. He was social, thoughtful and did everything in a way that made sense. Practicality. Although Mr. Jacobson was a far different person now, he still held a high respect for people like this. People who seemed to control the surrounding situation utterly without harsh words or gestures. It was merely in his existence that everything made sense. It eased his heart to see that one of the sharpest pieces of his puzzle, his son, had been taken care of by a man like this. Somehow, it made it easier to endure what was to come.
Folding his arms behind him, in a manner that befitted him almost as well as anything else might, the man followed the principal, listening acutely to any details the other would provide. As he listened, he began to pay particular attention to where they were going and what was around them. So his son lived here now? It was smart of his family to think of such things. That seemed typical of them, always caring for what wasn't really theirs. Always taking the situation in stride. Even as a younger man, Alexander had never accomplished such things. He had done everything with strict and firm orders, living his life entirely around demands and proper structure. Perhaps that was why his own son held such distaste for him. Even now he worried that Nathaniel would turn away when they met. Turn away and ask him why it couldn't have been his mother who lived.
Heaven rest her soul.
But that was the future. Not quite here yet. Not quite something to worry about. Instead, he allowed his eyes to widen a little at the mention of his son's cooking. He had heard little rumors of such a hobby from Nat's aunt and uncle. It put a small chuckle in his throat to hear such wonderful things about him. "When he was younger, Nathaniel had always been such a devoted child. Though I must admit, more surprising than him being a cook is his taste for tea. He never liked anything but what my wife used to drink, and even then..." The man stopped, realizing he'd been rambling a little before stopping with a sigh, shaking his head to dislodge the subject. It was a silly thing. This man next to him probably knew more about his son now than Alexander himself ever might. It was ridiculous to try and dwell on things long past.
"I myself do enjoy tea, yes," he continued after a moment.
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Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2009 12:35 am
"He doesn't talk much about his past," Norman replied thoughtfully, making his way at a leisurely pace through the grounds, approaching the main building. "He eludes to it, lets it rule him, but he doesn't have much heart to speak of it. I've never pressed. I know what I see - he holds a great deal of animosity for what has transpired - but I think your presence, Mr. Jacobson, may very well turn the wheels of fortune that bear him down his current path."
They were all his children, some more than others. He looked after them all, knew them by name, could recall enough about them to ask personal questions or compliment their efforts; Nathaniel's case had been a worrisome one since he was brought into the school, but he'd watched the teen flourish and grow with what ShinKami had offered to him. He hoped that this encounter would only serve to direct him down a path that didn't include revenge, not now, not when...everything the poor boy had thought was truth was, indeed, a farse.
The Headmaster held open the door to the main building, turning to smile at Alexander as he did so. "Good. I've quite the collection of tea, I rather enjoy it myself. Nathaniel preferred milk in his, a very English and proper way. But then, Nathaniel has always been a proper boy. No doubt a proper young man before he leaves my grounds." He could not fathom the type of man Nathaniel would grow to be, not with this wrench in the workds, but it gave him a great deal of hope that the teen might find his own way, and not the way driven by anger and hate.
"This way," he entered the building after his guest and lead him through the lavish hallway, the building well taken care of and adorned with projects by the students and small baubles of the past; it was by no means gaudy, but the school Norman had fashioned was one built after progress and contemporary ideas in one. It wasn't everyone's cup of tea, as it were, but it was home to him.
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Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2009 5:28 pm
Despite how he tried, it was hard not to ponder the state of his son or bring himself to question upon precarious curious question. Alexander Jacobson seemed to have a guilty conscience for what had 'transpired', as the Headmaster had put it. The memories of those painful times were blurry to him. A hazy fog in which he lived his life. In which he lost his beloved wife, his talented son, and his mind too. In which he had lost so very much. So very very much. The whole world had been shattered ashes around him, and his wife... his beautiful wife, Nathaniel's wonderful mother, had protected him with the last of herself. The last of her breaths.
The Headmaster's words held much weight. Heavy weights that he dreaded to think of. Could the pain have been so great that it drove his son to brinks of obsessive insanity? Could his son be so far gone in the throes of revenge that he looked no further than such horrid things? Had he raised his son for such things? He had not. But then again, how much had he really even raised his son at all? Would the boy even wish to call him 'father' after all of this? His face remained impassive as he listened, but his eyes held the worried grimace he felt in his heart.
Still, he would uphold a conversation with this man. This man who would give life back to his soul. The man who would show him his son again. Something for which he would be endlessly grateful. Something which, even he with all his age, was still terrified of. What would the boy say? Would he be so stiff with him, like he had been when he was younger? Like he'd been taught. Proper. Just like he'd been taught.
"Nathaniel seems in very good care here," he commented lightly before following the other through lush halls and strange sorts of things. He didn't quite expect a school to be like this, but it was certainly interesting. Nothing too different. Nothing that Alexander couldn't get over. Nothing he hated. No. He didn't have such strong feelings about anything really. Still, he looked around with a small smile. Yes. Nathaniel was treated quite well, and despite whatever mentality he held now... the boy would definitely grow to be a man here.
A proper young man, just as the Headmaster predicted.
Alexander would expect no less.
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