006 - Public Video - Maguire Household

[whattheytellyou]

[The camera switches on to reveal a teenager's room covered in the sort of band/hip/sarcastic posters you'd expect to find at Hot Topic. The camera settles on a desk and Sarah moves into view, looking younger and more "rebellious" than normal. Her clothes are comprised of skinny jeans, what's meant to be a cynically sassy shirt, and accessories

Comments

spam.

[christ_onabike]

[Paddy spotted a picture of him and Sarah, so goes upstairs and starts trying doors. Eventually he finds the right one, sticks his head in and says, quite simply,]

I think that'd be pot, love. Need a roach?

spam.

[whattheytellyou]

[She gives Paddy a look that calls him completely insane, no words necessary.]

What is going on here?

Re: spam.

[christ_onabike]

[He shrugs] Some weird Admiral bullshit as usual.

But turns out, I, Patrick Maguire, own this bar. And you... [He holds out a picture of them both and a blond guy] Are my kids. Haven't found the blond kid yet.

Re: spam.

[whattheytellyou]

[She simply stares at him for a long moment, then finally motions to the photograph.]

Who is that?

Re: spam.

[christ_onabike]

Don't know, never seen em before. [He shrugged,] Although some folks, from what I've heard, aren't... the right sex either, y'know. You got lucky and I got luckier.

Re: spam.

[whattheytellyou]

[She mutters her reply.] I could handle being a man.

[With a glance at the walls, she sighs again, though it's a defeated sound.]

This isn't me.

Re: spam.

[christ_onabike]

[Paddy frowns awkwardly,]

Yes, but at least you know this isn't you. Half the time in floods, it's like you're someone else entirely.

spam.

[whattheytellyou]

Why didn't you change?

[She realizes as she says it that there's a bit of a pitiable whine to her tone and has the good grace to look rather ashamed of herself.

Let's face it: sixteen is never a good year.]

Re: spam.

[christ_onabike]

[He shrugs] Figured I got lucky.

I did get to be the dad of teenagers again, so maybe not that lucky.

Re: spam.

[whattheytellyou]

I may be missing the point of the port, but I was an excellent kid.

...Mostly.

Re: spam.

[christ_onabike]

[Paddy shrugged, as he was thinking about that earlier, whilst cleaning some glasses,]

Point is, I reckon, that nobody on that fucking boat, except me, Nathan and maybe a coupla others, have lived this kinda life. They've all run off and been evil bastards or heroes and never been the normal bloke in the middle.

So maybe that's the point. Dunno why you're sixteen or some people are girls. That's... a fucking weird one.

spam.

[whattheytellyou]

[She shrugs off the weirdness. It's only temporary, and, aside from the strange upswing of visceral reaction to everything, she can handle being a teenager for a day or two.

Probably.]

Which one were you?

Re: spam.

[christ_onabike]

[He leant against the doorframe,] Neither, really. I was kinda a bloke in the middle. Leaning towards evil bastard side of things, but not half as much as some folks.

Re: spam.

[whattheytellyou]

I guess I could do worse.

[She picks up the bag of pot and tries to cram it into the pocket of her jeans. ]

Could be -

[She gives up with a disgusted frown. How did teenagers function in these?]

Could be Deadpool. Or O'Brien. Don't get me wrong, he's all right, but the Party lacks parenting skills. [She smiles tightly.] At least you have experience, right?

Re: spam.

[christ_onabike]

A ton of fucking experience. Five times the experience. Although all my kids are proper fucking adults and not sixteen these days. So it's been a while.

[He shudders,] Y'know. I don't want to think about either of them being parents. Just saying.

Re: spam.

[whattheytellyou]

Well, I promise not to stay out past curfew, steal the car, or beg for allowance.

[She held up the baggie.]

Or whatever else this kid does.