Jadlin Hayes
Jad considered a moment, let slip a facial shrug and set the Leeching book on the seat of a nearby chair, scooting it under the table. He looked up with a noncommittal expression, "Well, it looks 'shelved' to me." Then he broke into a grin. He looked again at the boy, thinking he'd seen him somewhere before, but discounted it, chalking it up the the similarities all babies shared in appearance.
"Well his mother must surely have 'captivating' eyes, then. Yes, indeed, you're gonna have them fightin' over ya, little man." His grin widened as he spoke, switching the target of his remark from the man to the child. He thought suddenly of Black, and how glad he was there was no competition trying to pull her away from him. He had never been any sort of ladies' man. Of course, he'd never really had the chance to be. He felt a moment of melancholy as he remembered the one girl that had caught his attention back in Syliras; before the cult had her killed and bent his memory to think he'd done it.
He shook off that grim memory in time to put the smile back on his face by the time the man turned his own look back to him. The man named himself 'Ricky', and Jad was just drawing breath to return the courtesy when he went on to name his son as 'Martin'.
Jad paused, again caught by something familiar. He studied the child for a moment, trying to place the memory. "Martin...That's a good name. I like it better than mine. It's 'Jad', by the way, 'Jadlin Hayes." He thought for a moment that his new friend was going to defend 'Jad' as a good name, and gave a quick wave off. "No, no, 'Jad' is okay, the short version. I just don't like the 'lin' at the end. Sort of softens it too much. Makes it wimpy, I guess. Like something a doting old aunt would call me. 'Oh, he's my little Jadlin'. So I try to go by just Jad...Though if I'm giving the full name, it's not bad."
He realized he was going on way too much about the name. "Anyway, I'm from Syliras. Left there early last Spring on 'Bethany's Badge'." He straightened instinctively at the mention of his ship. He had no idea whether this man had any understanding of the sensibilities of a sailing man, but they would endure insult to their families before allowing such to sully the honor of their ship.
It was a strange phenomenon that every sailing man offered pause after naming their vessel, to give a rival the chance to offer insult so they could fight over it. But this man 'Ricky' did not appear to be of this sort. Jad was glad this time too. This man had offered a friendly chair while under no obligation, and Jad did not wish to find cause for contention with him. He had, in fact restored a decent assessment of people in general after a series of ugly exchanges with others. And the child was a gem. 'What was it about the child...?'
He went back to his voyage, "Took the better part of a hundred and thirty days. But we slid right to quay with only a single guy and anchor. Men aloft took it in tied. Cap' was on the nail with that one." he beamed. "They've set to the Northern route for the Summer now, but I had business in town, lookin' for family. And now I've got a job and a woman." He blushed slightly, expecting some sort of friendly ribbing about it 'probly bein' yer first, eh?' And while it wasn't his first dalliance, it WAS the first that wasn't bought with coin.
"Well his mother must surely have 'captivating' eyes, then. Yes, indeed, you're gonna have them fightin' over ya, little man." His grin widened as he spoke, switching the target of his remark from the man to the child. He thought suddenly of Black, and how glad he was there was no competition trying to pull her away from him. He had never been any sort of ladies' man. Of course, he'd never really had the chance to be. He felt a moment of melancholy as he remembered the one girl that had caught his attention back in Syliras; before the cult had her killed and bent his memory to think he'd done it.
He shook off that grim memory in time to put the smile back on his face by the time the man turned his own look back to him. The man named himself 'Ricky', and Jad was just drawing breath to return the courtesy when he went on to name his son as 'Martin'.
Jad paused, again caught by something familiar. He studied the child for a moment, trying to place the memory. "Martin...That's a good name. I like it better than mine. It's 'Jad', by the way, 'Jadlin Hayes." He thought for a moment that his new friend was going to defend 'Jad' as a good name, and gave a quick wave off. "No, no, 'Jad' is okay, the short version. I just don't like the 'lin' at the end. Sort of softens it too much. Makes it wimpy, I guess. Like something a doting old aunt would call me. 'Oh, he's my little Jadlin'. So I try to go by just Jad...Though if I'm giving the full name, it's not bad."
He realized he was going on way too much about the name. "Anyway, I'm from Syliras. Left there early last Spring on 'Bethany's Badge'." He straightened instinctively at the mention of his ship. He had no idea whether this man had any understanding of the sensibilities of a sailing man, but they would endure insult to their families before allowing such to sully the honor of their ship.
It was a strange phenomenon that every sailing man offered pause after naming their vessel, to give a rival the chance to offer insult so they could fight over it. But this man 'Ricky' did not appear to be of this sort. Jad was glad this time too. This man had offered a friendly chair while under no obligation, and Jad did not wish to find cause for contention with him. He had, in fact restored a decent assessment of people in general after a series of ugly exchanges with others. And the child was a gem. 'What was it about the child...?'
He went back to his voyage, "Took the better part of a hundred and thirty days. But we slid right to quay with only a single guy and anchor. Men aloft took it in tied. Cap' was on the nail with that one." he beamed. "They've set to the Northern route for the Summer now, but I had business in town, lookin' for family. And now I've got a job and a woman." He blushed slightly, expecting some sort of friendly ribbing about it 'probly bein' yer first, eh?' And while it wasn't his first dalliance, it WAS the first that wasn't bought with coin.
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