Rubbish Beard

George Colbert and Seamus Noblet Colbert, from Why Should I Care?

This is actually the start of their first big fight. Seamus has a history of holding back rather than pressure George to do things, but when he does open up with his wants and needs, he's gotten used to George accomodating him. So it comes as a surprise when Seamus makes it clear that he hates the beard . . . and George digs in his heels.

Things chill quickly.

"Look, Seamus, it's not a big deal. Why can't you leave it alone?"

"If it's really not a big deal, why not just shave it?"

And it isn't long before they take a turn for the ugly.

"I don't complain about your skirts and blouses, and that's much more dramatic!" --when George knows full well how sensitive Seamus is about his penchant for pretty dresses.

(All this happens while George is working some kind of psychiatric internship. Counseling at a hospital, maybe?)

"And it makes you look like a cliche cartoon therapist!" snaps Seamus after a while.

"At least it makes me look like some kind of therapist, instead of the ward mascot!" George fires back.

Seamus starts to cool off as he puts it together. Turns out George feels like the people he works with have been treating him like their collective kid brother.

"I'm sure it'll be cute when I'm forty and still getting carded," he admits, stretched out on the couch with his head in Seamus' lap, "but I'm twenty-two, and half the staff treats me like a teenager, and I'm sick of it. Besides, there's no way I can inspire trust in patients - or clients - if I don't look the part."

"You inspire trust in me," points out Seamus. "With or without the beard."

George snorts. "Yeah, and we met when you tried to pick me up because you thought I was underage."

"Oh. Right."

So Seamus promises not to give George any grief about the beard for at least a couple of months. By the time the internship ends, he's kind of gotten used to it.

And Now You Know how adult!George's beard came to be.