[Henry doesn't take into account that she could be clear across the other end of the city. The cafe is close to where he's staying, so he doesn't need to drive; he just walks, and it takes him fifteen minutes to get there.
Which means he's waiting near the entrance when she arrives, hard to miss with her familiar motorcycle as she seeks parking. He, too, is dressed appropriately for the weather and radiates his usual prim, proper, and polite vibe. His hands are hidden in the pockets of his brown bomber jacket to keep warm.
Compared to how she saw him last, it's as though he's reset himself. No more (visible) anger, hair perfectly combed and coifed, and not a single drop of blood to be seen.]
Hi.
[He offers a smile. Warm, blooming satisfaction crawls inside every vein as she approaches, thanks to whatever the hell is happening to him, and he would curse the feeling were it not so grounding.]
If you're looking for my mural, it's around the other side of the building.
[ The jacket doesn't quite fit the image Fern's had of Henry based on how he's dressed every other time they've met, but with the snowfall and the colder temperature, everyone has to make do.
He does seem to be back to normal, for whatever that means for either of them. If he's still suffering the headaches and nosebleeds, they at least seem to be less frequent.
Does that mean he's learned his lesson? The truth he shared with her in the aftermath of their run-in with the Skinner is something she's still digesting. But for whatever he might feel beneath the surface, this seems to be the way he likes to present himself in public. (And she understands that — wanting to control how others view you.)
Either way, it is good to see him looking better, and even greeting her with a smile. A weight on her chest lifts, and for a moment her brow furrows with confusion, but it doesn't appear to be directed at him. ]
Hello, Henry. It's good to see you.
[ The words come out before she can think better of them, leaving her even more confused at herself. She clears her throat. ]
... Lead the way, then. [ She draws closer, ready to follow him. ]
[Has he learned his lesson? Has he?? 🙂 Time will tell.
But he does seem relatively normal, and Fern seems to be doing well enough, too, so he just tilts his head slightly in the direction he intends to lead her-]
All right. Just over here; it faces the street, so maybe people will have a chance to appreciate it before it gets graffitied over again.
[A small mote of pride mixed with cynism. Both utterly sincere, and she will come to learn that this is very, very Henry. He turns and leads her around the building, and his work becomes obvious almost immediately. She will be struck with the color green, first and foremost. Henry has painted the side of the building to look like crawling foliage, with wide thick leaves, splaying across the side. Vines, interweaving. And on the leaves, painted with careful precision that is also indicative of his character, are all sorts of little bugs.
They're lovingly rendered. There is, of course, a little jumping spider here and there amid the collection.
This is a far cry from painting a logo in a bowling alley. Did this take him a week? Two?]
They wanted a "nature" scene, I guess to contrast against the rest of this dirty city. So I gave it to them.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Which means he's waiting near the entrance when she arrives, hard to miss with her familiar motorcycle as she seeks parking. He, too, is dressed appropriately for the weather and radiates his usual prim, proper, and polite vibe. His hands are hidden in the pockets of his brown bomber jacket to keep warm.
Compared to how she saw him last, it's as though he's reset himself. No more (visible) anger, hair perfectly combed and coifed, and not a single drop of blood to be seen.]
Hi.
[He offers a smile. Warm, blooming satisfaction crawls inside every vein as she approaches, thanks to whatever the hell is happening to him, and he would curse the feeling were it not so grounding.]
If you're looking for my mural, it's around the other side of the building.
no subject
He does seem to be back to normal, for whatever that means for either of them. If he's still suffering the headaches and nosebleeds, they at least seem to be less frequent.
Does that mean he's learned his lesson? The truth he shared with her in the aftermath of their run-in with the Skinner is something she's still digesting. But for whatever he might feel beneath the surface, this seems to be the way he likes to present himself in public. (And she understands that — wanting to control how others view you.)
Either way, it is good to see him looking better, and even greeting her with a smile. A weight on her chest lifts, and for a moment her brow furrows with confusion, but it doesn't appear to be directed at him. ]
Hello, Henry. It's good to see you.
[ The words come out before she can think better of them, leaving her even more confused at herself. She clears her throat. ]
... Lead the way, then. [ She draws closer, ready to follow him. ]
no subject
But he does seem relatively normal, and Fern seems to be doing well enough, too, so he just tilts his head slightly in the direction he intends to lead her-]
All right. Just over here; it faces the street, so maybe people will have a chance to appreciate it before it gets graffitied over again.
[A small mote of pride mixed with cynism. Both utterly sincere, and she will come to learn that this is very, very Henry. He turns and leads her around the building, and his work becomes obvious almost immediately. She will be struck with the color green, first and foremost. Henry has painted the side of the building to look like crawling foliage, with wide thick leaves, splaying across the side. Vines, interweaving. And on the leaves, painted with careful precision that is also indicative of his character, are all sorts of little bugs.
They're lovingly rendered. There is, of course, a little jumping spider here and there amid the collection.
This is a far cry from painting a logo in a bowling alley. Did this take him a week? Two?]
They wanted a "nature" scene, I guess to contrast against the rest of this dirty city. So I gave it to them.