Reiterations [Closed] - Printable Version
+- alonimi (https://alonimi.net)
+-- Forum: Contemporary (https://alonimi.net/forumdisplay.php?fid=71)
+--- Forum: Miscellaneous (https://alonimi.net/forumdisplay.php?fid=87)
+--- Thread: Reiterations [Closed] (/showthread.php?tid=687)
+- alonimi (https://alonimi.net)
+-- Forum: Contemporary (https://alonimi.net/forumdisplay.php?fid=71)
+--- Forum: Miscellaneous (https://alonimi.net/forumdisplay.php?fid=87)
+--- Thread: Reiterations [Closed] (/showthread.php?tid=687)
RE: Reiterations [Closed] - saronym - 09-10-2017
Holland was more than delighted to allow Aphrodite to tote his daughter around as long as she wanted. Although he had assumed they would be the only customers at the ice cream shop, the small group found themselves waiting behind a group of what appeared to be high school students indulging in a sweet treat on a weekend day off from school. There was something soothing in the way that the blonde swayed with his daughter. The girl was no less excited for her ice cream, but was calm and patient through her wait. Holland affectionately petted his daughter’s hair and in a fussy manner smoothed her dress over her back.
Rose bobbed her head that “yes” she had been a good girl for her dad when in reality she had been a handful, which wasn’t necessarily unexpected for an excited toddler. Holland didn’t disagree with that assessment and nodded slowly. Apparently, he had forgiven her earlier behavior.
Their turn to order came and Holland found himself trying to translate Rose’s desires to the employee. She, unable to effectively name the flavors, pointed through the glass at what she wanted.
“I want the green.”
“That’s pistachio, Rose. You don’t like that flavor, remember?” Holland tried to intervene. “What about strawberry? Or chocolate?”
“I want the green, daddy!” She insisted pointing even more urgently to the tub in question.
Holland pulled her hand away from the case feeling poorly about the way her fingerprints smeared the clean glass. “Okay sweetheart.” He looked up at the counter clerk and quietly instructed. “Give her the mint chocolate chip in that small cone.” It was green and a flavor he knew she would enjoy. A fatherly compromise.
Holland declined to order his own treat and vehemently refused to try any samples. He offered the lame excuse of: "No thank you. I'm watching what I eat." Even though it was clear that the trim man could stand to have ice cream for brunch just this once.
He waited for Aphrodite to pick what she wanted and paid for them all. With much care, he passed a grabby hands Rose her ice cream cone. With her hands full with Rose, Holland accepted Aphrodite’s treat for her and retrieved an excessive wad of napkins before choosing a booth for them. He unfolded several napkins and placed them in a neat square and instructed Rose to eat her cone over the space so as to not make a mess of herself.
RE: Reiterations [Closed] - megs - 09-14-2017
Aphrodite hovered over the glass casing containing the various flavors, holding Rose while father and daughter went back and forth over her choice. She had taken up to observing Holland more keenly than she had before. In a subtle manner of course, nothing that would leave him feeling scrutinized like some sort of test subject. It was becoming clearer to Aphrodite what...different about Holland. She deliberately refrained from thinking words like “off” or “wrong” because she didn't consider what she was starting to pinpoint as an anxiety disorder either of those things. “I'll have the strawberry cheesecake on a chocolate dipped waffle cone,” she chimed, eyes skirting away from Holland as he declined samples to smile at the clerk.
Thanking Holland for treating her, she carefully deposited Rose into the booth and scooted in beside her. She gently pulled her sunglasses away from Rose and situated them back on top of her head, before accepting her own cone from Holland. She licked at the dripping edges and watched at the nearly perfect square he arranged with the napkins. “Did you hear about the rally that's happening?” She asked to make conversation. They had talked about “were-politics” the day before and in a way she was still testing him. “Apparently, several leaders from the local were groups and having a big thing to protest that bill.”
RE: Reiterations [Closed] - saronym - 10-03-2017
Holland liked Aphrodite’s ice cream choice. Somehow it seemed to suit her. Decadent and feminine and tastefully self-indulgent. He observed both girls eating their treats with a pleasantly neutral smile on his face. For one thing, he was glad that Rose had calmed and was content to work at her ice cream which left the adults to converse. “Yeah. I did.” He nodded agreeably noting that he was up to date on certain political happenings.
“I have one person in my department who is attending the rally. Unfortunately CAF policy is that we are not to approve time-off for the event - or well any political events, actually, except voting.” Holland folded his arms across his chest and sighed as he leaked back in his booth seat. The cheap pleather groaned with the movement of his body. His lip rolled inwards and he toyed with the ring pierced through it while he gathered his thoughts on the subject.
“I understand the policy but since I’m department director I decided to give the guy a day off to go. We’re filing it under a personal day. I’m not sure if I do, but I think I have the professional discretion to extend that time to him.” He shrugged and shook his head. “Don’t get me wrong, I love my job. But I sort of regret accepting the directorship. It comes with lot of paperwork and awkward personnel situations.”
He laughed nervously and dropped his hands to his lap. His gaze followed his hands, averting away from hers. “I’m probably not the right person to be in charge of that kind of stuff. You’ve probably noticed…” He trailed off not wanting to ‘out’ himself per se, but at least skirt around the issue of whether she noticed anything about him. A test of his own for her.
“...anyways, I’m just there for the science. The CAF is on the cutting edge with certain things...so...you know.” He felt as if he had walked himself into a conversational place where he had to explain himself and that left him feeling a bit defensive before her.
RE: Reiterations [Closed] - megs - 10-19-2017
Aphrodite observed Holland, unabashedly, as he spoke. Violet eyes leveled on his features, almost unblinking and with a feline intensity. She wasn’t entirely aware that she was doing it, focusing on him so hard, it just sort of happened when she saw something that she liked. Her attention tracked to smaller movements, like the way he fiddled with his lip ring. Dite nodded to indicate that she was listening along as she daintily licked at the cone, and nibbled at cheesecake pieces. His explaination trailed, and she noted the sort of verbal test he had left for her. She hummed in understanding, occupying herself with a bite of ice cream to formulate a response. Aphrodite wasn’t entirely sure how to tread. Quickly working through her options she could conclude that he was likely not interested in a blatant admission that indeed she had ‘noticed.’
“I’ve noticed that you seem considerate and have an impressive attention to detail.” She hoped this was response enough to answer his unspoken question, and reassure him that he didn’t have to defend himself to her. “I’m sure that they wouldn’t have offered you the directorship if they didn’t think you could handle it.” She made sort of an amused chucking hum sort of a noise as she licked another bite of ice cream into her mouth. “And here I am begging for even a consideration to be the dean of science.”
Glancing down at Rose eating quietly and behaving quite nicely seated next to her, Dite bit off pieces of the chocolate dipped cone. “I’m going to be going to rally,” she explained, bringing the conversation full circle. “I was going to ask if you were, but I’m assuming not? Since you didn’t mention it.”
RE: Reiterations [Closed] - saronym - 12-01-2017
Holland’s laugh was more a nervous expiration of breath and he rubbed at his jeans rocking forward and back just once before he settled. “Considerate and attentive to detail sound like resume boosters.” His voice had an edge that betrayed his attempt to hide his own belittling of himself. His face screwed up in empathetic pain as she revealed her own struggle to advance. “Mmm yeah. They give responsibilities to people who can barely handle them and freeze out those who probably deserve them. Bureaucrats.” He muttered darkly. “Keep trying. I’m sure you’ll get it.” He added quickly, trying to brighten his speech and be supportive in an attempt to keep from spiraling into negativity.
“Oh. Um.” Holland’s gaze fell to his lap as he hesitated to answer before he met her intensive gaze again. He lowered his voice some. “I can get a little bit... overwhelmed in crowds.” He cringed as he thought about bodies pressing all around him. His index finger raised signaling he had more to add.
“But, um, I am very curious to hear what activists and professionals have to say on the matter. You know, this is an issue - this is something - that - that - the broader culture is not listening to the scientific and academic community about. I don’t think the bill that they’ve introduced is grounded in the scientific literature. I think, you know, the evidence is very clear, very cut and dry, that weres do not pose a systemic threat - health or otherwise - to non-weres. And actually I’ve reviewed the economic data and it seems that weres are a net positive to -” he stopped realizing he had gone on a sort of meandering and almost frantic rant. Holland met Aphrodite’s gaze ensuring she was following him. “- to the workplace and the larger economy.” He finished.
“So.” He concluded turning his eyes to Rose whose face and hands were half covered in melted ice cream. He pulled napkins from the dispenser and began cleaning her up careful not to get any of the treat on his own hands. “That’s my, um, opinion. Sorry if that is offensive.” He added quickly as if he were trying to clean up any verbal mess he might have made. “I know it might sound callous or something or not as nuanced to rely on purely academic studies to formulate political opinions when we’re talking about people’s lives here but in the present case I think the evidence is so strong. And foundational.”
He laughed nervously. “I said a lot there. Sorry. Let’s keep your ice cream in your mouth okay sweetie?” He directed the last comment to Rose who only nodded as she continued to work on her nearly finished treat.
RE: Reiterations [Closed] - megs - 01-19-2018
Keep trying. A polite enough affirmation that she’d been hearing for years. Aphrodite continued to smile pleasantly, and hide the disheartened way she felt about her goals. She reminded herself that Holland meant well, and didn’t know about the one huge factor holding her back. A factor that was very close to ruining her life if the bill they were currently talking about passed.
It wasn’t as if she could just blurt out ‘I’m a wereleopard,’ to explain why she wasn’t sure she would have a job at the end of the month let alone get a promotion. That was a conversation for another day.
As he spoke he would often glance at her to make sure she was listening. Aphrodite wondered if it was a habit formed from self-consciousness. As if Holland expected people to bore of him. But she was listening eager and interested as her hands made the motions of feeding ice cream towards her mouth. It wasn’t very often she conversed with a fellow scientist who did not speak down to her.
“I don’t find it offensive.” Aphrodite finally looked away from him. Purple eyes cast downwards to her empty cup. She titled it slightly to scoop out the nearly melted remains of her dessert. “Personally, I would prefer if a more scientific approach was taken in this regard.” She dropped the plastic spoon into the paper cup and pushed it to the side. “There’s a lot of research and evidence that is being ignored.” Aphrodite smiled down at Rose and pet the hair at the crown of her head before folding her hands neatly in her lap beneath the table.
“As for the rally, I have no doubt it will be covered by every news outlet. Probably even televised. The were community is large, and not just in Winter Heights.”
Rose was close to finishing her ice cream and Dite felt bad for initiating such an adult conversation when she was supposed to be treating the child. “Do you like ducks, Rose?” She touched the young girl’s hair again as she brought her back into the conversation.
RE: Reiterations [Closed] - saronym - 01-21-2018
Holland nodded slowly showing that he was following along with Dite’s train of thought. His smile was shy when she mentioned the television coverage. Perhaps she understood him. “I will have to tune into that.” He said agreeably. “I hope everyone stays safe. I know there was some counter protestors at a rally in D.C. that got violent.”All of a sudden the attention was back on Rose, who has been behaving admirably while the adults had wandered off into their own conversation. She sat eating her ice cream quietly. Her eyes were fixed, glued to the face of the blonde woman with the enchanting accent. Her face lit up and her mouth which had a kind of ring of ice cream around it spread into a toothy smile. She nodded black hair bobbing with her enthusiasm. “Yes!” She then looked at her dad for approval.
Holland did his best to mask the tension in his smile. He wasn’t keen on ducks himself. They were filthy birds who spent too much time too low to the ground and in dirty water being fed a diet of moldy bread or whatever old ladies tossed at them in the parks. He knew, though, what Aphrodite was leading to.
“Would you like to go feed them?” He asked.
Rose’s answer was an immediate ear piercing shriek. A sound that only three year old little girls could produce. Holland cringed and looked around apologetically to the others in the ice cream shop. There was only the clerk who smiled genuinely amused with the cute child. Holland sometimes forgot that people could be generally forgiving towards children’s various outbursts. That hadn’t been his own childhood experience.
He hovered his index finger in front of his lips. “Inside voice, Rose.” He reminded her gently as he used yet another napkin to clean the ice cream from around the child’s mouth.
RE: Reiterations [Closed] - megs - 01-30-2018
Aphrodite didn’t have enough time to be surprised at Holland suggesting duck feeding. She had noted that hesitant tension and was going to offer to do it herself. Rose’s excited noise cut off her train of thought, and drew a huge smile out of the pretty blonde. “We should get you all cleaned up first.” It was less of a suggestion and more of telling of what was going to happen next. It wasn’t as if Rose would protest when Aphrodite easily plucked her from the booth seat and drew her into her lap so they could scoot out of the tight space together. “We’ll be right back, dad,” Dite said with a cute wink in Holland’s direction. “We have to powder our noses.”
Rose was giggling when Dite picked her up and she knew it was about the woman’s willingness to tote her around and not because of her joke.
They girls returned after a few minutes hand in hand after getting Rose cleaned up. Dite has also fixed her bow again. “I think we’re all set,” she announced, releasing Rose’s hand long enough to reach back into the booth for her purse and slide it over her shoulder. “There’s a duck pond in the park just a block or tow over. Shall we walk?”
RE: Reiterations [Closed] - saronym - 02-18-2018
Holland nodded his agreement to Aphrodite’s plan to clean Rose up. And just like that the blonde was whisking his daughter away to the bathroom. He almost got up to wash his own hands but noticed her purse still sitting on the seat. Holland blinked at it as he considered whether that was some kind of overt signaling that Aphrodite trusted him. Obviously she wouldn’t have left her purse with him if she didn’t. Then again maybe it wasn’t such a big deal.Holland shook his head. How stupid. It was just a purse. It didn’t mean anything. He reminded himself the ways his mind would so often leap ten steps ahead of reality.
The girls were already back.
“We can walk. It’s a nice day. Would you like to walk, Rose?” The girl bobbed her head yes and then grabbed Dite’s hand again to pull her towards the door. “Just a second, let me - I’m going to wash my hands.” He explained before leaving the two girls.
He met them outside the ice cream shop and gestured indicating he was ready to go. Holland took Rose’s other hand. The three of them walked in a line together. Like a family. Almost.
“Thank you for taking her to the restroom.” He said said to make conversation. “I was in the supermarket yesterday with her and there wasn’t a family room. It was just a men’s room and a women’s room. And the men’s room is -” He cut himself off with a frustrated huff. He didn’t really need to describe why he wasn’t keen on taking his three year old girl into a men’s room. “Well, you know.”
Holland rolled his eyes. “I don’t know what I expected of single fatherhood, honestly. Don’t get me wrong. It’s great. But not without it’s interesting challenges.”
RE: Reiterations [Closed] - megs - 06-24-2018
The sunglasses had left Aphrodite’s hair and returned to her face, and she was thankful for the dark lenses that let her surreptitiously study Holland and Rose as they all walked holding hands towards the park, and the pond with the ducks that had promised the child. Who was doing a remarkable job of behaving now that she had gotten her ice cream and was on a sunny walk with her father and her new friend. She looked over at him as he spoke, and she quickly found herself staring. Once again, struck by how handsome he was. Though he carried himself in such a way that implied he was unaware of it. Aphrodite smiled at him in a way that said you’re welcome without her having to say anything at all. The thanks wasn’t necessary, the gesture was selfish as much as it was helpful. She was shamelessly trying to bond with the girl she was hopelessly and likely foolishly getting too attached to. “Parenting presents such unique challenges,” she sympathized. “I can’t even imagine what you’re going through. With everything.” She’d learned from Julianna, that he had obtained custody of Rose after the death of her mother.
Aphrodite had wanted more information that Julianna, despite her and Owen’s love of gossip, didn’t have. Why weren’t he and Rose’s mother together? Why did she have full custody? Questions that she didn’t quite know how to ask Holland and certainly wouldn’t do so in front of Rose. “You’re not alone though. I’m here to help. And you how know how Julianna is.” Aphrodite laughed airily. “Just dying for someone to ask her for help with something.”
When they arrived at the park Aphrodite took the lead with Rose so she could meet the ducks. It was impossible for her not to notice the way that Holland had slowed his pace when the neared the pond, and sort came to halt altogether. The pond was artificial, but large and well-maintained. It was home to several species of ducks and even a few swans. Turtles could even been seen bobbing on the surface of the water near feeding stations. Rose was squeezing her hand in such a way that advertised a sudden nervousness now that the birds were present. “Do you want to feed them?”
RE: Reiterations [Closed] - saronym - 06-24-2018
You’re not alone. The words shattered him. Holland had never felt anything but alone his whole life. Part of that now was on purpose. It was easier, perhaps, not to get too close than to be abandoned in the end. “I don’t like to burden other people with my problems.” There was a subtle tremble in his voice and he cleared his throat as if he had a tickle back there. “Anyways -” he laughed nervously, “-Julianna and Owen have an infant of their own.” He didn’t address Aphrodite’s offer to help him and that felt rude and weak. Like he didn’t even have the guts to tell her yes or no. The whole walk to the park was one of mounting dread first like a prick in the back of his mind to a full buzzing. It was less about himself and more about Rose. It was hard enough keeping a toddler clean without trips to parks with filthy birds.
Rose was also looking apprehensive about the ducks that waddled around on the lake shore. They were accustomed to people and hardly shied away when the blonde and the toddler approached. Holland stood back, chewing at his lip ring while he watched a beautiful blonde woman encourage his child to contaminate herself.
Rose looked back and whined at her dad. “Daddy.” It appeared as if his loitering nearer to a tree than the girls wasn’t comforting to the nervous child.
Holland gave Aphrodite a tense look, lips pressed together before he mustered himself up to close the distance for his daughter. “It’s alright, sweetie. The ducks are nice, see? But, if you’re too afraid, we could just walk around some more. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”
“No. You feed them.” Rose ordered her father in that way that only toddlers could do. Her finger pointed hastily at him, putting him direct on the spot.
Holland faltered under pressure. His face felt hot. “Ah - I’ve fed them lots before." He lied. "You go ahead, I’ll watch.”
“No. I want you to.” She whined. The sound of it grated on his nerves. The whole situation did.
“Miss Dite will show you.” Holland decided bruskly before her pressuring and his anxiety came to a head.
RE: Reiterations [Closed] - megs - 06-26-2018
Aphrodite didn’t need the heightened senses of a wereleopard to feel the tension rise between father and daughter. Holland gave her a look that she couldn’t quite piece together, but she knew that she didn’t like it. It didn’t take long for her to calculate where she had gone wrong in her suggestion. She had, perhaps, overstepped a boundary, that Holland had been too polite to correct her on. He didn’t like the ducks, and now she assumed he didn’t really want Rose to interact with them either. A pink tinge to her cheek revealed the sudden embarrassment that she felt, but didn’t announce. She had made a mistake. She heard herself clearing her throat much like Holland had, and she was glad she had the sunglasses to hide the way her eyes tracked between her two companions trying to find a way to resolve everything.
“You know what, Rose,” she drew the child’s attention away from her father with a soft tone and gentle pat on her head. “I don’t think these ducks are very hungry right now.” She lowered to one knee so she was eye level with Rose. She tucked a few loose strands of hair back into her bow. Aphrodite felt like she was imposing. Holland hadn’t responded to her offer to help, didn’t want others to deal with his problems. She had all but commandeered his daughter with promises of ice cream. “Howabout I give you a piggy-back ride back to the car instead?”
RE: Reiterations [Closed] - saronym - 06-30-2018
A look of betrayal and frustration twisted up Rose’s face. Her cheeks and the tip of her nose turned red ahead of plump tears rolling down her face. Her jaw fell open with her crying and somehow there was a ready supply of drool to leak down her chin. Rose lifted her hands as if she wanted to be picked up to be consoled but plopped her butt down into the dirt. “Rose!” Holland surged forward bending to take his daughter’s arms and pull her to her feet. “You’re getting all dirty.” He tried to make his scolding sound as gentle as possible.
That only made the child’s tantrum become worse. Her legs went slack and she refused to stand up on her own. She plopped right back down into the dirt and definitely cried at him. Holland huffed and stared down at the child. She peaked open her eyes to see how her tantrum was playing out with the adults.
Holland folded crossed his arms folding shaking hands away and took a deep breath before trying another tactic. “When you’re finished, Miss Dite will give you a piggy-back ride to the car.” He said levelly with an apologetic a side glance to Dite.
Rose’s crying died down to a silent trickle as she bored of her tantrum and then she looked expectantly at Aphrodite with eyes still wet.
RE: Reiterations [Closed] - megs - 07-04-2018
The situation was off the rails, and Aphrodite knew it was entirely her fault. She often got caught up in trying to be the one with the best ideas and the most entertaining, but she didn't entirely know how to accommodate for a toddler, and her notably anxious father. Chewing on her bottom lip, as she watched Rose collapse to the ground in a fit of tears. Still kneeling, she stared down her nose at the top of Rose's brunette head. Aphrodite wasn't particularly moved by the tears, her face remained smoothed into bland passivity as to not encourage a prolonged fit. It wasn't that she wasn't empathetic, she could simply hear the irregularities of crocodile tears. Rose wanted something, and Dite wondered if she wasn't used to this behavior working.
She mostly watched Rose, because she couldn't bear to look at Holland after her poor judgment as he talked down his wailing daughter.
When the fit had passed, a wet-faced and sniffling Rose looked at her. Dite smiled again, pleasant, but not beaming, as she hooked her hands under Rose's arms and stood with her. She picked the child up with ease and slung her around until she was positioned on her back like a clinging koala. Rose was giggling now, but it didn't help Aphrodite to fell better. They walked back to their cars, mostly in silence.
RE: Reiterations [Closed] - saronym - 07-09-2018
Holland gazed away from the now appeased Rose who clung to Dite’s back. He sighed knowing that he had ruined the day with his mood. He quickened his pace to move from walking behind Aphrodite to walking next to her in silence. They reached the cars and he helped Rose from the blonde’s back and into her car seat. Holland closed the car door with Rose tucked safely inside and turned to face his new friend. “I’m not a one-with-nature kind of guy.” He said immediately upon turning around. Holland crossed his arms over his chest and while it may have looked argumentative, he was really feeling actually quite defensive. “I like nature in theory. In person.” He wrinkled his nose. “Not so much.”
“I enjoyed the ice cream and our chat.” His smile was tight but not obviously forced. Just tense. HIs smile faded as he brought the lower part of his lip into his mouth to play with the ring through his lip. He hoped she wouldn’t remember that he hadn’t actually eaten any ice cream. Maybe she would just remember it otherwise. Maybe somehow he could come across like he wasn’t a complete fucking disaster of a parent and person.
“We should do it again sometime. Sans the ducks maybe.”