Like Father Like Son
Following his run-in with the two Elven trespassers, Jack returned briefly to the theater; Though with little hope of finding Selis there. He gathered his things, gave a farewell to Solus, and promised to be at the Grand Re-Opening before leaving and heading toward the East-Harbor District. His intentions were to board a ship and spend the next few days clearing his head at sea, but as he stepped on to the deck of the Merchant-Ship, he felt the sudden unexpected urge to turn back. Unsure of what to do, Jack for the first time ever... felt lost in his own city. The events he had witnessed were finally coming to a climax, and he felt as though the way he had been living his life up until that moment was not the right way at all.
Uncertain, and even a little frightened Jack turned to the one person in all of Toril that he felt he could...His mother. As if the wind had suddenly picked up and given him new direction, Jack swiftly moved through the harbor and back in to the city until he found his mother's house, a run-down apartment in the slums. His hand shook with an awkward, anxious feeling as he grasped the old, rickety door-knob and turned it with new strength. Entering, he knocked as he had always done in his youth. “Mother. Are you here, are you awake?” Stepping in to the small, one-bedroom apartment the familiar scent of that place struck Jack's senses and he suddenly recalled all the long nights of his child-hood. “Mother...!” He called again, his voice quiet but loud enough to be heard throughout the small home. Jack came to his mother's bed-side and knelt upon his knees, taking his mother's warm, sleeping hand and squeezing it with his own warmth and love. “Mother...It's me, Jack.” As soon as his voice rang out for that third time his mother began to stir and soon awoke.
At first her expression was dim and tired, but soon she saw the visage of his face and felt the warmth of his hand in hers. Her expression lightened and she smiled softly, a look of adoration and loving affection that only a mother can give. “Oh Jack...My loving Jack, I'm so happy to see you.” Just then his mother raised up from where she had been laying and embraced her son, whom she had not seen for years. Even though he had returned to the city some time ago Jack hadn't been able to face her, something always tore him away from that house; a fear of the past, or a shame in the present. The truth is not even Jack knew exactly why he had never been able to gather the courage to see his mother, but now he had, and she was overwhelmed with joy. “Jack...I love you, but I know when something is wrong. What's the matter, son?” He held her for a few moments longer before looking away, his eyes down-cast as if in frustration as he explained, “Mother...I feel lost, I don't understand things as well as I thought - I thought I knew people, but I was just another fool.” His mother gently caressed his cheek, her hand lifting his gaze up to her own. “Jack, listen to me...You are a good person, and don't let anyone ever take that confidence from you.” He put his hand to her's and for a moment pulled her hand from his face, “You don't understand, The Flaming Fist don't care about the people in this city. All they care about is their coffers. My faith in the ones who claim to protect this city and it's people is gone! Mother...I'm just... so frustrated...I don't know what to do.”
As Jack confessed his frustration, his body shaking with it, his mother placed her hands on each of his arms firmly, “Oh Jack...You remind me so much of your father right now, that look in your eyes...Like a caged bird determined to be free at any cost.” His mother's hand once again caressed his cheek, her eyes focused on his as she smiled. “My...Father? What do ya mean? - My father was never around, I don't even know his name.” Jack spat, his frustration and anger getting the best of him. “Jack, your father was a good man, but he didn't always agree with the law. He...” Before his mother could continue she was interrupted, Jack's voice filled with more anger than before, “What, ya mean my father was an outlaw? Why would you tell me this...? My own father was a good-for-nothin' who broke the law?” Jack spoke almost to himself, as if coming to a realization before his mother quickly spoke-up, “No, Jack. Your father was not a good-for-nothing, no matter how angry I am with him for leaving us, he was a good man. Your father was an outlaw, yes, but do you even know what a true outlaw is, son? An outlaw...Is the name given to those who have only freedom as their guide in life. Jack, your father followed his own freedom, and I loved him for it.” His mother's eyes stayed focused on his, both of their gazes looking in to the others heart, searching for one another.
After some time had passed, Jack sighed with a new-found sense of relief before he once again embraced his mother. “Thank you, mother.” - “No, thank you, Jack, for coming back to me.” His mother returned the heartfelt embrace with all her frail strength before whispering quietly in to his ear, “I'm so very proud of you, Jack...” The two stayed and talked for some length of that night, as a mother and her son often do. When the sun began to rise, and Lathander blessed the morning, Jack thanked Tymora for all his fortune in having such a loving mother and after giving his loving goodbyes to his mother he returned to his room where he slept peacefully next to the already-sleeping Scirocco. Jack was at piece now, he knew what he had to do...
Uncertain, and even a little frightened Jack turned to the one person in all of Toril that he felt he could...His mother. As if the wind had suddenly picked up and given him new direction, Jack swiftly moved through the harbor and back in to the city until he found his mother's house, a run-down apartment in the slums. His hand shook with an awkward, anxious feeling as he grasped the old, rickety door-knob and turned it with new strength. Entering, he knocked as he had always done in his youth. “Mother. Are you here, are you awake?” Stepping in to the small, one-bedroom apartment the familiar scent of that place struck Jack's senses and he suddenly recalled all the long nights of his child-hood. “Mother...!” He called again, his voice quiet but loud enough to be heard throughout the small home. Jack came to his mother's bed-side and knelt upon his knees, taking his mother's warm, sleeping hand and squeezing it with his own warmth and love. “Mother...It's me, Jack.” As soon as his voice rang out for that third time his mother began to stir and soon awoke.
At first her expression was dim and tired, but soon she saw the visage of his face and felt the warmth of his hand in hers. Her expression lightened and she smiled softly, a look of adoration and loving affection that only a mother can give. “Oh Jack...My loving Jack, I'm so happy to see you.” Just then his mother raised up from where she had been laying and embraced her son, whom she had not seen for years. Even though he had returned to the city some time ago Jack hadn't been able to face her, something always tore him away from that house; a fear of the past, or a shame in the present. The truth is not even Jack knew exactly why he had never been able to gather the courage to see his mother, but now he had, and she was overwhelmed with joy. “Jack...I love you, but I know when something is wrong. What's the matter, son?” He held her for a few moments longer before looking away, his eyes down-cast as if in frustration as he explained, “Mother...I feel lost, I don't understand things as well as I thought - I thought I knew people, but I was just another fool.” His mother gently caressed his cheek, her hand lifting his gaze up to her own. “Jack, listen to me...You are a good person, and don't let anyone ever take that confidence from you.” He put his hand to her's and for a moment pulled her hand from his face, “You don't understand, The Flaming Fist don't care about the people in this city. All they care about is their coffers. My faith in the ones who claim to protect this city and it's people is gone! Mother...I'm just... so frustrated...I don't know what to do.”
As Jack confessed his frustration, his body shaking with it, his mother placed her hands on each of his arms firmly, “Oh Jack...You remind me so much of your father right now, that look in your eyes...Like a caged bird determined to be free at any cost.” His mother's hand once again caressed his cheek, her eyes focused on his as she smiled. “My...Father? What do ya mean? - My father was never around, I don't even know his name.” Jack spat, his frustration and anger getting the best of him. “Jack, your father was a good man, but he didn't always agree with the law. He...” Before his mother could continue she was interrupted, Jack's voice filled with more anger than before, “What, ya mean my father was an outlaw? Why would you tell me this...? My own father was a good-for-nothin' who broke the law?” Jack spoke almost to himself, as if coming to a realization before his mother quickly spoke-up, “No, Jack. Your father was not a good-for-nothing, no matter how angry I am with him for leaving us, he was a good man. Your father was an outlaw, yes, but do you even know what a true outlaw is, son? An outlaw...Is the name given to those who have only freedom as their guide in life. Jack, your father followed his own freedom, and I loved him for it.” His mother's eyes stayed focused on his, both of their gazes looking in to the others heart, searching for one another.
After some time had passed, Jack sighed with a new-found sense of relief before he once again embraced his mother. “Thank you, mother.” - “No, thank you, Jack, for coming back to me.” His mother returned the heartfelt embrace with all her frail strength before whispering quietly in to his ear, “I'm so very proud of you, Jack...” The two stayed and talked for some length of that night, as a mother and her son often do. When the sun began to rise, and Lathander blessed the morning, Jack thanked Tymora for all his fortune in having such a loving mother and after giving his loving goodbyes to his mother he returned to his room where he slept peacefully next to the already-sleeping Scirocco. Jack was at piece now, he knew what he had to do...
"A boy has the right to dream.
There are endless possibilities stretched out before him.
What awaits him down the path; he will then have to choose.
The boy doesn’t always know; at some point, the boy then becomes an adult, and learns what he is able to become.
Joy and sadness will forever accompany this.
He is confronted with a choice:
When this happens, does he bid his past farewell in his heart?
Once a boy becomes an adult, he can no longer go back to being a boy.
The boy is now a man.
Only one thing can be said:
A boy has the right to dream, For those endless possibilities that are stretched out before him.
We must remember:
All men were once boys."
Cited: Outlaw Star, Ep2.There are endless possibilities stretched out before him.
What awaits him down the path; he will then have to choose.
The boy doesn’t always know; at some point, the boy then becomes an adult, and learns what he is able to become.
Joy and sadness will forever accompany this.
He is confronted with a choice:
When this happens, does he bid his past farewell in his heart?
Once a boy becomes an adult, he can no longer go back to being a boy.
The boy is now a man.
Only one thing can be said:
A boy has the right to dream, For those endless possibilities that are stretched out before him.
We must remember:
All men were once boys."