Simspiration April 8, 2010 - Erasmus Goth
This went a bit longer than sim_spiration replies allow so I'm posting it here to cross post. This is cannon so it may be spoilerish. It's as much LaniRas as it is just Erasmus.
It hadn't been easy for Elani, telling her parents she was pregnant. She'd worked up her nerve, sat them down and spelled it all out. She'd told them everything, and answered all their questions. When it was over, their reactions had been fairly close to what she had believed that they would be.
Her mother had taken it seemingly in stride, but then Della Familiar often appeared to be unflappable. When Uncle Dean, had become a plantsim she'd barely blinked. Elani's decision to have a child out-of-wedlock was apparently only surprising in its timing. What had left Della flabbergasted was the declaration that Erasmus Goth wasn't the father of her future grandchild. Once she'd gotten over that hurdle, Della had put her boundless energy into preparing nursery space and making sure Elani was taking care of herself.
Elani's father was a different story. Dannon had stood in her room at the communal housing with his arms crossed, never saying a word, while Elani had packed everything up. It hadn't taken long to pack, she'd barely gotten moved in. Dannon had silently loaded boxes into the truck and just as closed mouthed he'd driven them back across town.
Since moving home, Dannon had continued to give Elani the silent treatment. Oh, he spoke to her occasionally, if grunts of acknowledgment were considered talking. They hadn't had a real conversation though, in all the time she'd been home. It was discomforting, and Elani didn't know what it would take to tear down the wall that had appeared between herself and her father. To get past his anger.
~ - - ~
Elani's father wasn't angry with her, he was angry at the situation that she had found herself in. While Dannon had held very few illusions regarding the lifestyle that his daughter had chosen, he had hoped that she would be more careful with herself. It was disappointing to find that she hadn't. It wasn't that she was pregnant, a child without the benefit of marriage wasn't so unusual after all; it happened, even in the best of families.
Elani had claimed that the father of her child, was some island swashbuckler she'd met on vacation. A one night stand, a mistake. She'd said that he wasn't important, and she didn't even know his last name. Dannon wasn't sure what to think about that story. He'd bet almost anything on the baby being Erasmus Goth's. But if it was Erasmus' child then why was she protecting him? Then again, if she was telling the truth and it wasn't his, then why the hell was 'Ras still hanging around?
It seemed like every time Dannon Familiar turned around, Erasmus Goth was there; under foot, just like he'd been back when Elani was in high school. Hanging around the house, eating their food and flirting with his daughter.
Well, 'Ras was being helpful as well, Dannon grudgingly admitted. Elani shouldn't have taken on the garden. She told her mother that she needed to stay active, and that the garden would provide a needed distraction. Dannon didn't think she should be lifting those bags or doing all that bending, but if anyone besides Erasmus tried to help she'd wave them away.
~ - - ~
It'd taken a bunch of cajoling but 'Ras had finally convinced Elani to go lay down for a bit. She'd been out in the garden all day and it had become apparent that she was pushing herself too much. While the garden was much less strenuous than dancing, it was still a lot of hard work. Elani had mostly, much to her regret, put aside her dancing for the remainder of her pregnancy. She still got up every morning and did warm up stretches, insisting that if she didn't stay limber that she'd never get it back. Fouettes, Jetes, Piles and all those other terms that he'd never quite gotten straight had to be put aside for now. Her balance was different now, she might hurt herself trying to compensate for the difference.
Erasmus heard the crunch of an additional hoe hitting the earth. Looking up, he saw that Elani's father had joined him in the planting.
Great, thought Erasmus, just what the evening needed, a confrontation with Dannon Familiar.
Erasmus was well aware that Dannon had never much liked him to begin with and that since Elani's pregnancy, Dannon's dislike had multiplied. Erasmus revised his thoughts Mr. Familiar didn't like him very much. Calling him Dannon was reserved for people he liked; people such as 'Ras' brother, Euclid. Erasmus could remember when he'd become aware that Euc had been encouraged to call Mr. Familiar by his given name and the envy 'Ras had felt over that simple gesture.
Erasmus looked over his shoulder at Mr. Familiar and said, “I can handle this sir, no need to get yourself dirty.”
“My garden, I should be allowed to put some time into it shouldn't I?” Dannon asked.
“Like you say, it's your garden,” replied Erasmus with a shrug. Turning he began to dig a small hole for the next seedling. “Elani's being pretty territorial over this bit of dirt at the moment. It took quite a bit for her to agree to let me put my paws on it.”
“You seem to have a way with getting her to allow you to put your paws wherever you want,” retorted Dannon sardonically. “Are you intending to be around to tend this garden that you're being so helpful in planting? Or will you be leaving it to wilt and wither?”
“Well now, you're speaking metaphorically aren't you? That's fine, I'll play along. It's like this Mr. Familiar, I try to finish what I start. I take care of what's mine.” Erasmus stated with a nod. “But it's like you said before, this isn't my garden. I'll do what I can to help out, as much as Elani lets me. Maybe, I'll be able to make some small claim to the quality of the harvest but the garden was laid out by someone else."
“If that's true, then why are you sticking around for the harvest at all?”
“The harvest will happen whether I'm here or not. It's not the garden that I love, it's the gardener.”
It hadn't been easy for Elani, telling her parents she was pregnant. She'd worked up her nerve, sat them down and spelled it all out. She'd told them everything, and answered all their questions. When it was over, their reactions had been fairly close to what she had believed that they would be.
Her mother had taken it seemingly in stride, but then Della Familiar often appeared to be unflappable. When Uncle Dean, had become a plantsim she'd barely blinked. Elani's decision to have a child out-of-wedlock was apparently only surprising in its timing. What had left Della flabbergasted was the declaration that Erasmus Goth wasn't the father of her future grandchild. Once she'd gotten over that hurdle, Della had put her boundless energy into preparing nursery space and making sure Elani was taking care of herself.
Elani's father was a different story. Dannon had stood in her room at the communal housing with his arms crossed, never saying a word, while Elani had packed everything up. It hadn't taken long to pack, she'd barely gotten moved in. Dannon had silently loaded boxes into the truck and just as closed mouthed he'd driven them back across town.
Since moving home, Dannon had continued to give Elani the silent treatment. Oh, he spoke to her occasionally, if grunts of acknowledgment were considered talking. They hadn't had a real conversation though, in all the time she'd been home. It was discomforting, and Elani didn't know what it would take to tear down the wall that had appeared between herself and her father. To get past his anger.
~ - - ~
Elani's father wasn't angry with her, he was angry at the situation that she had found herself in. While Dannon had held very few illusions regarding the lifestyle that his daughter had chosen, he had hoped that she would be more careful with herself. It was disappointing to find that she hadn't. It wasn't that she was pregnant, a child without the benefit of marriage wasn't so unusual after all; it happened, even in the best of families.
Elani had claimed that the father of her child, was some island swashbuckler she'd met on vacation. A one night stand, a mistake. She'd said that he wasn't important, and she didn't even know his last name. Dannon wasn't sure what to think about that story. He'd bet almost anything on the baby being Erasmus Goth's. But if it was Erasmus' child then why was she protecting him? Then again, if she was telling the truth and it wasn't his, then why the hell was 'Ras still hanging around?
It seemed like every time Dannon Familiar turned around, Erasmus Goth was there; under foot, just like he'd been back when Elani was in high school. Hanging around the house, eating their food and flirting with his daughter.
Well, 'Ras was being helpful as well, Dannon grudgingly admitted. Elani shouldn't have taken on the garden. She told her mother that she needed to stay active, and that the garden would provide a needed distraction. Dannon didn't think she should be lifting those bags or doing all that bending, but if anyone besides Erasmus tried to help she'd wave them away.
~ - - ~
It'd taken a bunch of cajoling but 'Ras had finally convinced Elani to go lay down for a bit. She'd been out in the garden all day and it had become apparent that she was pushing herself too much. While the garden was much less strenuous than dancing, it was still a lot of hard work. Elani had mostly, much to her regret, put aside her dancing for the remainder of her pregnancy. She still got up every morning and did warm up stretches, insisting that if she didn't stay limber that she'd never get it back. Fouettes, Jetes, Piles and all those other terms that he'd never quite gotten straight had to be put aside for now. Her balance was different now, she might hurt herself trying to compensate for the difference.
Erasmus heard the crunch of an additional hoe hitting the earth. Looking up, he saw that Elani's father had joined him in the planting.
Great, thought Erasmus, just what the evening needed, a confrontation with Dannon Familiar.
Erasmus was well aware that Dannon had never much liked him to begin with and that since Elani's pregnancy, Dannon's dislike had multiplied. Erasmus revised his thoughts Mr. Familiar didn't like him very much. Calling him Dannon was reserved for people he liked; people such as 'Ras' brother, Euclid. Erasmus could remember when he'd become aware that Euc had been encouraged to call Mr. Familiar by his given name and the envy 'Ras had felt over that simple gesture.
Erasmus looked over his shoulder at Mr. Familiar and said, “I can handle this sir, no need to get yourself dirty.”
“My garden, I should be allowed to put some time into it shouldn't I?” Dannon asked.
“Like you say, it's your garden,” replied Erasmus with a shrug. Turning he began to dig a small hole for the next seedling. “Elani's being pretty territorial over this bit of dirt at the moment. It took quite a bit for her to agree to let me put my paws on it.”
“You seem to have a way with getting her to allow you to put your paws wherever you want,” retorted Dannon sardonically. “Are you intending to be around to tend this garden that you're being so helpful in planting? Or will you be leaving it to wilt and wither?”
“Well now, you're speaking metaphorically aren't you? That's fine, I'll play along. It's like this Mr. Familiar, I try to finish what I start. I take care of what's mine.” Erasmus stated with a nod. “But it's like you said before, this isn't my garden. I'll do what I can to help out, as much as Elani lets me. Maybe, I'll be able to make some small claim to the quality of the harvest but the garden was laid out by someone else."
“If that's true, then why are you sticking around for the harvest at all?”
“The harvest will happen whether I'm here or not. It's not the garden that I love, it's the gardener.”