Professor Jackson Dalton

Rain hammered against the pavement around them, her shoulders suddenly warm with the pressure of Jackson's jacket draped across them. He guided them out of the initial downpour, but all she could do was smile as she twisted her head in his direction. "What are you so worried about when we're already wet?" she posed the question with a mischievous quirk of her brow. "Isn't there a quote somewhere about how life is all about learning to dance in the rain?" she added, walking out into the street and holding her hand out to him.

Jackson’s smile curved, soft around the edges. “Now that you say it like that, I realize who I’m talking to—and maybe that attempt at chivalry was a little wasted.” His laugh was quiet, not unkind, more like he was laughing at himself.

"My mother would often order things like that, especially at a bar," Ingrid commented, laughing softly at his mild annoyance at the situation. "She'd ask for the whiskey, coke and ice all separately. Otherwise it was too watered down and that's not what she was paying for," she mentioned fondly. "I think it's not a bad idea to do that if they pull the stunt again. Maybe this is one of those places where they think they can get away with it," Ingrid considered, thanking him for handing her her drink and looking down at the amount of ice inside of it.

Jackson’s smile lingered, genuine. “Your mother sounds like a smart woman,” he said, lifting his glass in a small, quiet acknowledgment before taking a measured sip. He leaned back slightly, voice thoughtful rather than judgmental. “These days, with the cost of everything, I think it matters that you get what you pay for. People are already squeezing pennies wherever they can, cheating someone out of that just feels… unfair. What kind of precedent does that set?”

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"I'm convinced you couldn't let me down even if you tried," she said when Jackson had asked her that. She'd trust him with absolutely anything, there was no doubt about it in her mind. "I know you wouldn't. All of it goes back to you being a man of your word," Ingrid smiled softly. "I'll sure miss this if you end up having to hold up your end of the bargain," she added with a laugh as she reached up to run a hand through his hair.

"I would hope not." He admitted sincerely. It was the last think that Jackson would ever want to do. I am aware of how lucky I am to have such a good friend in my life. I have to say that even though I knew from our first meeting that you were going to be someone important to me, I hadn't anticipated it coming, or in what capacity either." He admitted. Life, and Ingrid in general, had surprised him in so many ways.

"I would sure hope so, especially give you're their teacher and I'm not," she pointed out with a light snort when he said he had more faith in them than she did. "I don't know. You seem pretty youthful, maybe we're not so different in age as you might be leading yourself to believe."

"Youthful hm? Well aren't you charming." Jackson said with a warm smile at her words. "But I suppose you are only as old as you feel. Some days that certainly wavers with me however." The children could make him hit both ends of the spectrum, not to mention everything going on in their world.

"I'll consider it." Jackson joked lightly laughing in return. "But that is a fair point. Still, this doesn't exactly affect me does it? If it did, I'd maybe be arguing it more."

"Deserving? While that's very sweet, I don't think it's a competition," she told her friend warmly. "I'm just as deserving of these wonderful things as anyone else. As are you," Trin placed a gentle hand on his forearm. "Don't let yourself forget that."

"No, it's not." He agreed with a little chuckled when she mentioned it not being a competition. He was pretty sure she knew he hadn't intended it that way so he didn't make further comment. "Me; forget about myself? As if that could happen." Jackson jested playfully.

"Is that supposed to be any better?" He put to April with a raised eyebrow, though he didn't seem particularly insulted by her comment. "Though I very much doubt you'd be the only one."

"I promise to do my best not to steal her off of you," grinning in reply. "But from what you said about her I doubt she'd so easily switch sides," Trin then assured. "A group trip could be fun but the last thing I'd want to do is ruin your existing dynamic."

"You say that, but who is to say she won't like you more than me." He spoke with a playful narrowing of his eyes. "You do have several positive traits after all. "Ah but that's all a worry for another day. I think we'd know pretty quickly if it'd work or not."

"I wouldn't say shaving your head is poor self care but I figure you mean something on a deeper level than that," she considered with a light snort. "But definitely. Don't neglect your own needs, especially when your job requires you to care for the needs of others. But I'm no shrink so what the hell do I really know?"

"I know." He assured her with a warm smile. "I don't think you need to be a shrink to be able to point that kind of thing out though. I think when someone cares about a person and spends time with them, they often have a perspective that the person involved can't see and they want to help. That's just who you are."

"I don't think there's anything wrong with that," Trinity replied with a warm smile. "A lot of the times we don't know what we're looking for until we find it by chance. Some people can't handle that but I think there's a lot of beautiful things that can come from letting life work its magic," she shrugged a shoulder in thought. "But I suppose that whole mentality just makes sense for me anyways."

"You're right, there is beauty in it. I think that you should just live your life and if you do that, you'll attract the right sort of people for you. That's how it's been for me." He had good people around him that he had met because he was just living his life. Trinity was one of them. "I hope you get what you're looking for Trin. I can't think of anyone more deserving of that."

"Yeah uh– I guess we do," he grinned back. Given how hit or miss things could be in their environment, it seriously was a relief to be able to say that. "What are you the most glad for lately?"

"I think the thing I am most glad of recently are the good friends I have around me. The security of my job helps too though as that allows me the freedom to do what I want when I'm not teaching. But friends have always placed highly for me." He'd never had a family as such, not by blood so those around him that were closest were what he'd always considered to be his family. It was why he'd always had dreams of adopting too.