Outside Seahorse Cabin: Friday Mid-morningish

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

Jack had handwavily made a town run, stopping at J,GoB and the Perk and returned to the Seahorse cabin bearing coffee and pastries.

He was now stretched out, face down in the grass, enjoying the intermittent sun. Yes, shirtless - it's the Seahorse Way.

The pastries are for all, but he'd promised one of his fellow Seahorses a coffee every day they were in the cabins, so the one he wasn't drinking was for her.

[Open for all your pastry, cabin-steps, and grass-lying needs. Now with added linkage!]

Comments

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

"The sign in the common room wasn't enough?" Jack asked.

[chasingsnitches.livejournal.com]

"Oh, there was a sign?" Cedric returns, playing dense for the time being. "I must've missed it."

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

"That explains everything," he replied, repressing a grin. "'Shirtlessness encouraged' it says. It's kind of the cabin motto."

[chasingsnitches.livejournal.com]

"I'm enjoying seeing the motto at work," he says, nodding at Jack's curren state of shirtlessness. "It's working out well for me so far."

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

Smirking, Jack asked, "You're not enjoying it enough to join in?"

[chasingsnitches.livejournal.com]

"I'm shy," Cedric says though it's obvious it's a lie.

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

"Shy," Jack deadpanned. "Of course you are. I should have realised." He tapped his mouth thoughtfully. "So there's nothing that could convice you to join in the shirtlessness?"

[chasingsnitches.livejournal.com]

"Oh, I'm sure there's something that could convince me," Cedric replies, finishing the pastry and wiping his hands on his pants.

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

"Alas, all I had to offer you was pastries," Jack said in mock-sorrow. "And you've just had one of those."

[chasingsnitches.livejournal.com]

"Ah, I suppose I did. Fair's fair, I guess." So, he pulls off his shirt and drapes it across his legs. "There we are."

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

A smile spread slowly across Jack's face. "And suddenly my day is even better."

[chasingsnitches.livejournal.com]

"I just have to take my shirt off to make your day better?" Cedric asks, tilting his head. "I'll have to remember that when you need some cheering up."

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

"I'd think you taking your shirt off would make anyone's day better." Jack replied. "And I never need cheering up, Cedric, I'm a happy kind of guy. But feel free to take your shirt off anytime."

[chasingsnitches.livejournal.com]

"Yes, I've noticed that about you, the happiness, I mean." He looks curiously at Jack. "Is it just a philosophy? Or something else?"

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

Smirking at Cedric's use of the word philosophy, which had forever been given another meaning thanks to Jaye, he shrugged one shoulder. "I don't know that you'd call it a philosophy. It's just, you never know what's going to happen tomorrow, so I choose to enjoy the moment, instead of worrying about what comes next."

[chasingsnitches.livejournal.com]

Thinking about that, Cedric fingers the shirt in his lap.

"Good words to live by," he finally says. "Still, if ever that fails you and you do need someone to cheer you up, let me know. I've been known to be a good listener."

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

Jack stared at Cedric in silence for a moment, eyes flicking from his face to his fingers and back. "Thank you," he finally said, "and it's mutual."

He paused, then broke into a grin. "Not that it's likely to be an issue. What is there not to be happy about here? Nice people, beautiful view," he waved a hand at Cedric, "and, pending an invasion of some sort, nothing to do but enjoy the sun."

[chasingsnitches.livejournal.com]

"Unless it rains," he says, leaning back against the steps. "Then you'll have to enjoy the rain. Or the clouds. Or find another activity to occupy your time."

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

"I can enjoy the clouds. And the rain - playing in the rain can lead to all sorts of fun things," he pointed out. "But I admit, poor weather does tend to loan itself more to indoor activities."

[chasingsnitches.livejournal.com]

"I'll admit to enjoying being in the rain," Cedric says. "It's fun. It was raining when I entered my name into the Triwizard Tournament."

Not exactly knowing where that came from, he shrugs sheepishly. "Random memory. Was a nice moment."

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

"Next time it's raining, we'll have to spend some time out in it. Not a lot of people appreciate how much fun it can be," he said with a smile. "And random memories are good. What made you enter?"

[chasingsnitches.livejournal.com]

"I wanted to see if I could do it," he answers. "Challenge myself, you know."

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

"Is that your life philosophy?" Jack asked curiously. "Doing things just to see if you can?"

[chasingsnitches.livejournal.com]

"Perhaps it is," he says after a long pause. "I like to push myself, to push my limits, I suppose."

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

"Good to know," he replied with a quiet smile. "And as life philosophies go, it's not a bad one. Not quite as good as live in the moment," he laughed. "But I think it suits you better than mine would."