Simspiration - "Do my feelings for him offend you?..."
"Do my feelings for him offend you? Well I'm sorry, because they're true, and pure--well, they're true!" (Misfits)
I'm rather stretching what that quote means (or what I'd guess it means since I have yet to watch Misfits), but it feels like ages since I've been able to do one of these, so stretching it is!
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Rodney loved having conversations with Liv; all he had to do was sit there and occasionally make noises suggesting he was listening, while he completely zoned out and yet she seemed to take it as a massive bonding experience. He could be working out the rest of his day and apparently deeply bonding with his daughter at the same time - he couldn't think of anything else he did that was so productive. The only slight problem was that the girl would never stop talking, but that just meant he didn't have to go to the effort to find anything to say, and he always had the excuse of having to go back to work. Then she'd hopefully ask "Maybe we can continue it next time?", to which he'd say "Of course!" and her face would light up as if he'd just made her whole year. Honestly, who could ever say that parenting was hard?
It was such a situation he was currently in. Glancing at the clock that he had subtly and deliberately sat facing, she'd already been talking for twenty minutes and was now on the subject of... graduation apparently, though he wasn't sure why: that was ages away for her, but it didn't matter, so he went back to refining his plans to win over support from the richest sims in Simfield - Landgrabb cash was a very appealing prospect, so long as the guy didn't start asking questions.
Rodney continued to ignore his daughter until something she said grabbed his attention by the throat.
"Of course Juan says that your grades are almost universally ignored by employers once you're an adult around here, but if you don't do well enough you can't get a job while you're at school and those help you get a job later, so I don't know-"
Calm down, he told himself as he felt his muscles tense up. It was just a passing mention - if you don't say or do anything she'll change the subject and then you won't have a situation.
"But then Juan has said he never did very much at school and didn't have a part-time job, and he's a zombie, yet he's managed to become the head of the whole police force, so I guess it just goes to show-"
Only because I f---ing well promoted him! Rodney thought irritably. I could just have easily fired him and then you wouldn't think so much of what he thinks, would you?!
No, no - he had to calm down. At this rate she might tell that something was wrong and that really wasn't a conversation he wanted to get into. At least not before he was certain she would side with him. Something was bound to distract her on to another subject soon anyway, her attention span was never very long.
"Actually Juan was telling us just the other day that-"
Arrrrrrgh. He was not having this conversation. I'm your father, you idiot! Just because your mother's stupid enough to want to be married to some stupid, undead, zombie, freakish bastard dressed in plaid, it doesn't mean you have to bloody well like him too! Whose daughter are you?!
It was just as well he had several decades' experience in not reacting to things, or he'd have smashed his coffee cup on the floor and would be yelling at and shaking her. And it was made all the worse by the knowledge that, had Seth been there, he'd have been laughing his head off, just knowing how much this was all pissing him off. Now if she would just change the subject...
"Actually, have you ever even met Juan? I bet you two would get along quite well if you did-"
Oh. My. F---ing. God. How could I be the father to somebody so incredibly, incredibly stupid?! Yes, I've met Juan Harris! I see him every f---ing day because I'm blackmailing him to death for putting me in jail and being my only daughter's step-father! Hell, I get to see him at night in my dreams where I get to kill him in various entertaining and satisfying ways! Now would you stop f---ing talking about him and how well you f---ing well get along?! I don't want to hear it, you complete and total moron!
"And then Lyle said- Hey, are you okay Dad?"
Rodney snapped back into focus with a blink and noticed how clenched his jaw was and that his hands had clenched into fists without him noticing. Great, he was even letting himself down. F--- it, he knew damn well who he blamed for this. "Ah, I just remembered that I need to call Education Minister Cormier before 2pm about a very important new measure we need to bring in."
"Ooh, what's that? Will it affect my school?" Liv asked brightly.
"Ah, um, it's confidential for the moment I'm afraid. I might be able to tell you later." When I actually do something to do with education.
"Oh, okay. I guess you'd better go back to work then. But maybe we can continue this next time?" she asked hopefully.
"Yeah, sure," he said distractedly as he began to walk away, before thinking. Glancing back he saw how despondent she looked as she pushed the spoon around her empty coffee cup. "Liv - of course we will" he called back confidently. She looked up and smiled widely with relief before he walked away again, jaw set.
I don't care how much she likes you Harris, she is my daughter and she is staying that way.
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[I was only going to do that part, but then I thought "Hang on, this works both ways, doesn't it?"]
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Juan was sat staring vaguely at the TV and brooding when Liv skipped happily into the living room. "Hey Juan, what's on?"
"Nothing much," he said, flicking through the channels. "Mostly adverts."
"Lame," she said as she flumped down on to the sofa anyway.
"Mmm. How was your day?" he asked automatically: Liv always had something to say given half the chance.
"Pretty good actually," she said - in Juan's experience it nearly always was. "School wasn't too bad, don't have much homework to do tonight, talked to Briney on the phone- oh, and I got to have coffee and lunch with my Dad again."
Oh great, Juan thought with a small sigh, but he didn't say anything. He hated hearing her talking about her father, but what did he expect? Scum of the earth though Rodney Jalowitz undoubtedly was, he was still her father...
"I still can't believe Dad - my Dad! - is Mayor! It's so strange!" she laughed happily.
"Mmm..." I know what you mean, he thought deadpan, I can still barely believe it myself. But of course it's strange, it's completely illegal! Welcome to Simfield: where apparently everyone's either corrupt or completely blind...
"But even though he has so much work and everything that he has to be doing, he still finds time to spend with me and listen to all I have to say-"
If he truly is listening, it's probably only so he can manipulate you or somebody else later... That, and I bet he doesn't even do half the work he's supposed to.
"I'm just so happy he's willing to put so much effort in for me; it must be difficult when you're not with the mother of your child, but he's such a great dad..."
Why? Because he buys you stuff? With money he's either stolen or made from selling stolen things? Or blackmailing people? I'm glad he loves you enough to spend somebody else's money on you, you must be very proud. Or because he makes it clear how very difficult it is to find time for you in his 'busy schedule', so he has an excuse not to and you appreciate what little he does bother with?
But then he was curious. "So what do you two talk about?"
Liv looked thoughtful, "Um, well, I do most of the talking, you know, about anything and everything..."
"And he's told you...?"
"He said he had to talk to the education minister about some new thing they're doing..."
That sounds like the excuse he made to get away to me. "And besides that?"
"Ummm..." she said, clearly struggling to think through all the times they talked and what he'd said. Juan wasn't hopeful she'd find anything; she'd memorise every detail of everything significant he said, Juan was sure.
Oh Liv, he thought sadly. He doesn't tell you anything and you give him your heart and soul on a plate, don't you? Of course he doesn't tell you what he's up to; if I could tell you even half of what I know of what he's up to you'd never speak to him again. Or you shouldn't, but knowing you, you probably would. But I don't want to hurt you like that, if you'd even believe me. And I can't risk what he could end up doing to Lyle if I did. The man's an evil, manipulative bastard who should still be in jail. If only you knew.
But he didn't say that. "I'm sure he's just an introvert." And, for once, her smile - which normally brightened people's days - killed him a little inside.
I don't care if you're her biological father, Rodney Jalowitz, I'm not going to let you hurt or manipulate her like you do everybody else.
I'm rather stretching what that quote means (or what I'd guess it means since I have yet to watch Misfits), but it feels like ages since I've been able to do one of these, so stretching it is!
~~~~~~~~~~
Rodney loved having conversations with Liv; all he had to do was sit there and occasionally make noises suggesting he was listening, while he completely zoned out and yet she seemed to take it as a massive bonding experience. He could be working out the rest of his day and apparently deeply bonding with his daughter at the same time - he couldn't think of anything else he did that was so productive. The only slight problem was that the girl would never stop talking, but that just meant he didn't have to go to the effort to find anything to say, and he always had the excuse of having to go back to work. Then she'd hopefully ask "Maybe we can continue it next time?", to which he'd say "Of course!" and her face would light up as if he'd just made her whole year. Honestly, who could ever say that parenting was hard?
It was such a situation he was currently in. Glancing at the clock that he had subtly and deliberately sat facing, she'd already been talking for twenty minutes and was now on the subject of... graduation apparently, though he wasn't sure why: that was ages away for her, but it didn't matter, so he went back to refining his plans to win over support from the richest sims in Simfield - Landgrabb cash was a very appealing prospect, so long as the guy didn't start asking questions.
Rodney continued to ignore his daughter until something she said grabbed his attention by the throat.
"Of course Juan says that your grades are almost universally ignored by employers once you're an adult around here, but if you don't do well enough you can't get a job while you're at school and those help you get a job later, so I don't know-"
Calm down, he told himself as he felt his muscles tense up. It was just a passing mention - if you don't say or do anything she'll change the subject and then you won't have a situation.
"But then Juan has said he never did very much at school and didn't have a part-time job, and he's a zombie, yet he's managed to become the head of the whole police force, so I guess it just goes to show-"
Only because I f---ing well promoted him! Rodney thought irritably. I could just have easily fired him and then you wouldn't think so much of what he thinks, would you?!
No, no - he had to calm down. At this rate she might tell that something was wrong and that really wasn't a conversation he wanted to get into. At least not before he was certain she would side with him. Something was bound to distract her on to another subject soon anyway, her attention span was never very long.
"Actually Juan was telling us just the other day that-"
Arrrrrrgh. He was not having this conversation. I'm your father, you idiot! Just because your mother's stupid enough to want to be married to some stupid, undead, zombie, freakish bastard dressed in plaid, it doesn't mean you have to bloody well like him too! Whose daughter are you?!
It was just as well he had several decades' experience in not reacting to things, or he'd have smashed his coffee cup on the floor and would be yelling at and shaking her. And it was made all the worse by the knowledge that, had Seth been there, he'd have been laughing his head off, just knowing how much this was all pissing him off. Now if she would just change the subject...
"Actually, have you ever even met Juan? I bet you two would get along quite well if you did-"
Oh. My. F---ing. God. How could I be the father to somebody so incredibly, incredibly stupid?! Yes, I've met Juan Harris! I see him every f---ing day because I'm blackmailing him to death for putting me in jail and being my only daughter's step-father! Hell, I get to see him at night in my dreams where I get to kill him in various entertaining and satisfying ways! Now would you stop f---ing talking about him and how well you f---ing well get along?! I don't want to hear it, you complete and total moron!
"And then Lyle said- Hey, are you okay Dad?"
Rodney snapped back into focus with a blink and noticed how clenched his jaw was and that his hands had clenched into fists without him noticing. Great, he was even letting himself down. F--- it, he knew damn well who he blamed for this. "Ah, I just remembered that I need to call Education Minister Cormier before 2pm about a very important new measure we need to bring in."
"Ooh, what's that? Will it affect my school?" Liv asked brightly.
"Ah, um, it's confidential for the moment I'm afraid. I might be able to tell you later." When I actually do something to do with education.
"Oh, okay. I guess you'd better go back to work then. But maybe we can continue this next time?" she asked hopefully.
"Yeah, sure," he said distractedly as he began to walk away, before thinking. Glancing back he saw how despondent she looked as she pushed the spoon around her empty coffee cup. "Liv - of course we will" he called back confidently. She looked up and smiled widely with relief before he walked away again, jaw set.
I don't care how much she likes you Harris, she is my daughter and she is staying that way.
~~~~~~~~~~
[I was only going to do that part, but then I thought "Hang on, this works both ways, doesn't it?"]
~~~~~~~~~~
Juan was sat staring vaguely at the TV and brooding when Liv skipped happily into the living room. "Hey Juan, what's on?"
"Nothing much," he said, flicking through the channels. "Mostly adverts."
"Lame," she said as she flumped down on to the sofa anyway.
"Mmm. How was your day?" he asked automatically: Liv always had something to say given half the chance.
"Pretty good actually," she said - in Juan's experience it nearly always was. "School wasn't too bad, don't have much homework to do tonight, talked to Briney on the phone- oh, and I got to have coffee and lunch with my Dad again."
Oh great, Juan thought with a small sigh, but he didn't say anything. He hated hearing her talking about her father, but what did he expect? Scum of the earth though Rodney Jalowitz undoubtedly was, he was still her father...
"I still can't believe Dad - my Dad! - is Mayor! It's so strange!" she laughed happily.
"Mmm..." I know what you mean, he thought deadpan, I can still barely believe it myself. But of course it's strange, it's completely illegal! Welcome to Simfield: where apparently everyone's either corrupt or completely blind...
"But even though he has so much work and everything that he has to be doing, he still finds time to spend with me and listen to all I have to say-"
If he truly is listening, it's probably only so he can manipulate you or somebody else later... That, and I bet he doesn't even do half the work he's supposed to.
"I'm just so happy he's willing to put so much effort in for me; it must be difficult when you're not with the mother of your child, but he's such a great dad..."
Why? Because he buys you stuff? With money he's either stolen or made from selling stolen things? Or blackmailing people? I'm glad he loves you enough to spend somebody else's money on you, you must be very proud. Or because he makes it clear how very difficult it is to find time for you in his 'busy schedule', so he has an excuse not to and you appreciate what little he does bother with?
But then he was curious. "So what do you two talk about?"
Liv looked thoughtful, "Um, well, I do most of the talking, you know, about anything and everything..."
"And he's told you...?"
"He said he had to talk to the education minister about some new thing they're doing..."
That sounds like the excuse he made to get away to me. "And besides that?"
"Ummm..." she said, clearly struggling to think through all the times they talked and what he'd said. Juan wasn't hopeful she'd find anything; she'd memorise every detail of everything significant he said, Juan was sure.
Oh Liv, he thought sadly. He doesn't tell you anything and you give him your heart and soul on a plate, don't you? Of course he doesn't tell you what he's up to; if I could tell you even half of what I know of what he's up to you'd never speak to him again. Or you shouldn't, but knowing you, you probably would. But I don't want to hurt you like that, if you'd even believe me. And I can't risk what he could end up doing to Lyle if I did. The man's an evil, manipulative bastard who should still be in jail. If only you knew.
But he didn't say that. "I'm sure he's just an introvert." And, for once, her smile - which normally brightened people's days - killed him a little inside.
I don't care if you're her biological father, Rodney Jalowitz, I'm not going to let you hurt or manipulate her like you do everybody else.