Shiner

Jeremy showed up to the child care gig with his long black hair pulled down stylishly over one lined eye; it almost covered the shiner. "Oh, Jeremy!" Mrs. Hallen exclaimed and he smiled radiantly, nodding "no". "Mrs. H, I'm fine - really," he comforted her, putting his bag and leather jacket on a kitchen chair (his tall form spare and angular in his black on black attire). "You should see the others." She wanted to ask, but didn't; Jeremy was a marvel ... but a private, quiet marvel; she loved him for that, and the kids loved him more. When they'd gone, Gretchen and Henry got deep down real and wanted to see the eye; he showed it proudly, all the while opening a pomegranate for them to try and making decaf tea ("With just a threat of sweetness - that's from Oscar Wilde," Jeremy said). To the questions about the pain and the situation, he answered carefully; he talked about bullies and how a fair and balanced person led with words and took things slowly when the energy was dangerously high. They talked about peace and Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" and, when he was asked if he had resolved the matter quickly, Jeremy only smiled (his lip piercing catching the light). Of course he had, the glint in his eye seemed to say, and so they asked him how.