Niagara Falls- Sunday night
Aug. 23rd, 2020 04:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fates_jayeIt wasn't that Jaye wanted to be home. Thanks to the weirdass time thing going on like that episode one of canon took place six years ago and we're all just gonna go on this journey, she'd barely even left home. But Karen's book was being released, and there were a few familial responsibilities Jaye had to go along with from time to time.
Even if it meant a semi-ceremonial reading of the book jacket at dinner.
"Their eldest, daughter Sharon, is a respected immigration attorney and the newest partner at the law firm of Merrifield, Hanson and Eldrich," Darren read, pride obvious. "Son Aaron was the youngest nonAsian to win the prestigious Fulton Scholarship for Religious Studies and is currently pursuing his doctorate in comparative religion. Jaye, a daughter, is 24."
He closed the book and leaned forward to give Karen a kiss on the cheek. "Congratulations, honey. I think this may be your best book yet."
"It’s certainly the heaviest," Aaron joked.
"I love the cover art. It’s very eye-catching," Sharon said.
"My publisher assures me that’s the case," Karen said.
"Jaye, aren’t you going to congratulate your mother on her achievement?" Darren asked.
Jaye had been frowning at the copy of the book in front of her, looking at the back flap. "Yeah. Congrats. Um, how come I only get five words on your inner flap?"
"It’s a blurb, dear. I’m only allowed a certain amount of words for that," Karen answered.
"Sure used up a lot of ‘em on Aaron. He got twenty-six words. I got five. And one of mine’s a digit."
"Jaye, don't parse the blurb," Darren admonished.
"Really, though," Sharon said, judging.
"Easy for you to say," Jaye told her. "You got nineteen."
Sharon's eyes widened, and she opened her copy. "I counted twenty-two..."
"Your brother and sister are older than you. They require more words because they’ve lived more," Karen explained.
"Achieved more, you mean," Jaye said.
"They’ve have had more opportunities to excel. Your time will come."
"That’s right. We’re all looking forward to expanding your sentence, sweetheart," Darren assured her.
"I did actually graduate from Brown with a philosophy degree. I might even still have it somewhere," Jaye said. And that wasn't even getting into the other stuff. She'd helped save the world once in the future! Where was the appreciation for that!
(It was nowhere, because she'd never told anyone about that.)
"We’re nearly finished paying for that, aren’t we?" Karen asked Darren.
"'Jaye, their youngest, holds a philosophy degree from Brown- and works retail,'" Sharon mused. "Twelve more words!"
"Sharon," Karen warned.
"'And lives in a trailer park,'" Aaron added. "That's five right there!"
Part of Jaye wanted to point out that she was teaching, sort of, and she'd actually done a lot and they just didn't know about it. But that would also be a very long, terrible conversation, because they'd never known about it and then she'd be thrown into a mental hospital.
"Well, why not? Those things are all facts," Jaye countered. "Should I be ashamed?"
There was an uncomfortable silence at the table that served as her answer, and then a beeper went off. Everyone else at the table checked their phones.
"It's me," Darren said. "The hospital. Looks like I’m gonna have to cut out of your celebratory dinner early. Sorry."
"Nonsense. We’re finished here. You have lives to save and I have my lunch launch tomorrow," Karen told him. "I need to go over my notes, anyway."
"Who’s gonna give me a ride?"
"I’ll drop you. I was about to head out," Aaron said. "I really need to put in some dissertation time tonight."
"Or I can take him. Hospital’s right near my gym. I wanted to get a little workout before I prepare for court tomorrow," Sharon said.
Karen kissed Darren on the cheek. "You take the Mercedes. I'll ride home with Aaron."
They all stood, and then realized Jaye hadn't.
"I’ll probably just hang out here and get drunk," she said.
Once they'd gone, Jaye sighed, grabbed her purse and her copy of the book and headed to the bar. A mousy blonde bumped into her on the way, but Jaye was in such a blah mood now that she didn't even bother to insult her and just kept going till she got to her usual seat. She'd known Mahandra was working tonight, but it was a pleasant surprise to see Eric behind the bar. Smiling at her. All cutely.
"Hi. Was that your family?" he asked.
"Yeah," she said with a nod.
"You seem depressed."
"Not clinically," she said, and explained, "My Mom published a new book and I only got five words in her bio blurb."
Eric focused entirely on the wrong part. "You got mentioned in a blurb?"
She let him see the book, just in time for the stuffed bass on the wall to say, "Get her words out."
"What do you care?" Jaye asked the fish.
"Well, I think it's impressive," Eric answered.
Jaye blinked. "You do?"
"Sure."
Mahandra came over, peering over Eric's shoulder to read the blurb.
"Well it’s really only four words and a digit," Jaye said. "My siblings got fifty one. Collectively."
"Digits?"
"Words."
"I didn’t know your brother was on a scholarship," Mahandra said. "You weren’t though, were you?"
Jaye frowned at her and pulled the book back to herself. "What if I only ever rate four words and a digit? What if by the time my mother’s next book comes out this sentence hasn’t changed?"
"It will," Mahandra said helpfully. "Well, the digit will."
Yeah, Jaye's mood wasn't going to fixed by alcohol. Or her best friend. Or a cute boy. "Or by then it’ll say, "Their
youngest daughter was confined to a mental institution..." she said, picking up the book to go.
[NFB, etc. We're on to episode #2!]
Even if it meant a semi-ceremonial reading of the book jacket at dinner.
"Their eldest, daughter Sharon, is a respected immigration attorney and the newest partner at the law firm of Merrifield, Hanson and Eldrich," Darren read, pride obvious. "Son Aaron was the youngest nonAsian to win the prestigious Fulton Scholarship for Religious Studies and is currently pursuing his doctorate in comparative religion. Jaye, a daughter, is 24."
He closed the book and leaned forward to give Karen a kiss on the cheek. "Congratulations, honey. I think this may be your best book yet."
"It’s certainly the heaviest," Aaron joked.
"I love the cover art. It’s very eye-catching," Sharon said.
"My publisher assures me that’s the case," Karen said.
"Jaye, aren’t you going to congratulate your mother on her achievement?" Darren asked.
Jaye had been frowning at the copy of the book in front of her, looking at the back flap. "Yeah. Congrats. Um, how come I only get five words on your inner flap?"
"It’s a blurb, dear. I’m only allowed a certain amount of words for that," Karen answered.
"Sure used up a lot of ‘em on Aaron. He got twenty-six words. I got five. And one of mine’s a digit."
"Jaye, don't parse the blurb," Darren admonished.
"Really, though," Sharon said, judging.
"Easy for you to say," Jaye told her. "You got nineteen."
Sharon's eyes widened, and she opened her copy. "I counted twenty-two..."
"Your brother and sister are older than you. They require more words because they’ve lived more," Karen explained.
"Achieved more, you mean," Jaye said.
"They’ve have had more opportunities to excel. Your time will come."
"That’s right. We’re all looking forward to expanding your sentence, sweetheart," Darren assured her.
"I did actually graduate from Brown with a philosophy degree. I might even still have it somewhere," Jaye said. And that wasn't even getting into the other stuff. She'd helped save the world once in the future! Where was the appreciation for that!
(It was nowhere, because she'd never told anyone about that.)
"We’re nearly finished paying for that, aren’t we?" Karen asked Darren.
"'Jaye, their youngest, holds a philosophy degree from Brown- and works retail,'" Sharon mused. "Twelve more words!"
"Sharon," Karen warned.
"'And lives in a trailer park,'" Aaron added. "That's five right there!"
Part of Jaye wanted to point out that she was teaching, sort of, and she'd actually done a lot and they just didn't know about it. But that would also be a very long, terrible conversation, because they'd never known about it and then she'd be thrown into a mental hospital.
"Well, why not? Those things are all facts," Jaye countered. "Should I be ashamed?"
There was an uncomfortable silence at the table that served as her answer, and then a beeper went off. Everyone else at the table checked their phones.
"It's me," Darren said. "The hospital. Looks like I’m gonna have to cut out of your celebratory dinner early. Sorry."
"Nonsense. We’re finished here. You have lives to save and I have my lunch launch tomorrow," Karen told him. "I need to go over my notes, anyway."
"Who’s gonna give me a ride?"
"I’ll drop you. I was about to head out," Aaron said. "I really need to put in some dissertation time tonight."
"Or I can take him. Hospital’s right near my gym. I wanted to get a little workout before I prepare for court tomorrow," Sharon said.
Karen kissed Darren on the cheek. "You take the Mercedes. I'll ride home with Aaron."
They all stood, and then realized Jaye hadn't.
"I’ll probably just hang out here and get drunk," she said.
Once they'd gone, Jaye sighed, grabbed her purse and her copy of the book and headed to the bar. A mousy blonde bumped into her on the way, but Jaye was in such a blah mood now that she didn't even bother to insult her and just kept going till she got to her usual seat. She'd known Mahandra was working tonight, but it was a pleasant surprise to see Eric behind the bar. Smiling at her. All cutely.
"Hi. Was that your family?" he asked.
"Yeah," she said with a nod.
"You seem depressed."
"Not clinically," she said, and explained, "My Mom published a new book and I only got five words in her bio blurb."
Eric focused entirely on the wrong part. "You got mentioned in a blurb?"
She let him see the book, just in time for the stuffed bass on the wall to say, "Get her words out."
"What do you care?" Jaye asked the fish.
"Well, I think it's impressive," Eric answered.
Jaye blinked. "You do?"
"Sure."
Mahandra came over, peering over Eric's shoulder to read the blurb.
"Well it’s really only four words and a digit," Jaye said. "My siblings got fifty one. Collectively."
"Digits?"
"Words."
"I didn’t know your brother was on a scholarship," Mahandra said. "You weren’t though, were you?"
Jaye frowned at her and pulled the book back to herself. "What if I only ever rate four words and a digit? What if by the time my mother’s next book comes out this sentence hasn’t changed?"
"It will," Mahandra said helpfully. "Well, the digit will."
Yeah, Jaye's mood wasn't going to fixed by alcohol. Or her best friend. Or a cute boy. "Or by then it’ll say, "Their
youngest daughter was confined to a mental institution..." she said, picking up the book to go.
[NFB, etc. We're on to episode #2!]
