* Oh, if Eames could pat her on the back and tell her his actual sage, fatherly advice; 'next time don't get caught, princess.' But they have to stand united on all fronts- thats what parents do. Good cop bad cop isn't something they want to ingrain into their daughter, even though its plain to see where those lines lay already. *
* Moving to touch lightly at Arthur's back, Eames smoothes his palm over his husband's shoulder-blades. Dina and Arthur were so alike in some ways that they couldn't see each other for how fast they were willing to point fingers-- their daughter just hasn't learned not to do it physically yet.
However, he is speaking to Geraldine when he says, * Dina, behave like a young lady. You know how your father feels about pointing.
[ Still she drops her hand into her lap, looking at the table instead of either of them. Neither has ever laid a hand on her, but as a teenager in trouble, she's prone to saying the rudest of things. She scuffs a sneakered foot on the floor and seems to have shut her mouth at the moment. ]
[ He keeps his stance and takes her rudeness in stride, even while a part of him knows he'd never hurt her in the way he had experienced at a young age. He could break bones easily, knew the tricks and how much pressure to apply. But this is his child. He would never willingly harm her - not even to scare her into compliance (as tempting as that can be sometimes with such a stubborn daughter).
He closes his eyes and counts to ten, leaning back slightly into the pressure of his husband's hand on his back before opening them back up. His tone is more along the "normal" scale. ]
And just what "non-bad" place were you going so late at night. And by yourself, no less?
You're not 10-feet tall and bullet-proof, Dina, so quit acting like it and realize that something terrible could have happened to you.
[ She chews on the side of her cheek slightly as he very obviously closes his eyes and counts in his head, continuing to scuff her shoe on the tile of their kitchen half-angrily and half-nervously. ]
I was going to Megan's, she's throwing a party.
[ 'Megan' was a senior at her high school. And at his words she glared harder at the table. ]
I know that I'm not! But it's only like five blocks from here, dad! And I was going to come back in a couple hours!
[ Arthur does make it his business to know these kind of things.
Just as he makes it a point to describe, in detail, just what could happen within that span of "only five blocks": that she could be abducted or raped or disemboweled and left in the streets to die, and the list could go on. ]
Darling, * Eames says, with a gentle brush of his thumb to the soft place behind Arthur's ear when he starts in on the scare tactics. Its a sure fire way to either get Arthur to be quiet long enough to let Eames take over, or get the annoyance directed at him. Either way, it's Eames' turn to speak.
Because while their daughter may not have any friends named Megan, she does have a proficiency for writing perfectly stylized M's with her calligraphy pens (Eames' gift to her on her twelfth birthday, and the source of many forged notes, Eames is proud to say) and has a tendency to stare a little too long at the sunshine blonde hair of the ever unreachable Senior Circle-- Megan being one of said seniors.
He turns to press a kiss to Arthur's jaw, a silent apology for not telling him sooner, and possibly avoiding telling him at all if he can. A crush is a special thing, and sometimes, you don't want to share it with your parents, or even your friends. Giving their daughter a sympathetic look look, Eames says, * Dina, we both know your
( ... )
[ There's a red flush of anger or embarassment blooming across her face when her papa interrupts her dad's list. Dina knows there are risks, okay - but like any hard headed teen, she doesn't think those risks would ever apply to her. She's Geraldine Eames-Morgan; nothing could get her, between her and her parents, she thinks.
(She doesn't know Arthur has good reason to worry, given his history with teenagers and partying.)
She tucks her chin against her neck when Eames speaks, drawing her legs up from under the table and up to her chest. Her face does indeed get redder at the mention of the senior's name. Megan barely knows she exists but tonight was a chance!
Was, anyway. ]
Right, okay, even if he isn't being extremely overprotective, would you have even said yes? Dad would have wanted to pocket check everyone and you would have - done something sneaky and we know it.
* Eames's hand falls back to the tense set of Arthur's shoulders and he can only imagine what its going to take to get the taut line of protective anger from them. He isn't angry at Geraldine, Eames knows that without asking; he's just afraid and threatened by the people outside, who could harm their lovely, beautiful daughter if she wasn't careful. She made a mistake, and now they would just have to talk it out.
Looking at their daughter, Eames buts in. * Yes, Geraldine, if you had asked and let me talk your father into letting me take you there, you could have gone to this party. And I most likely would have done something terribly sneaky on your father's orders, but the point is you wouldn't have known I was snooping and you could have still had a good time with your friends.
* Eames' hand makes a soothing once over on Arthur's back, his voice turning apologetic and stern at the same time. * But your father is right. We * He makes sure to emphasize the part where this isn't Arthur vs Geraldine-- this is her parents caring about
( ... )
[ The worst part about this part of it is that she's still angry and annoyed but now she's guilty too, because they have a point. As defensive as she is about it all this is her parents being worried about her and that's not something she can get angry about. Not logically anyway.
She'd jumped out of her chair to her feet when Arthur spoke, opening her mouth to argue right back at him, but Eames' cuts in at the right time and it makes her snap her mouth shut, crossing her arms in front of herself.
The 'hah, you just said you would follow me!' Doesn't make a good response to what Eames said either. Dina looks down at her feet again. ]
I get- I get that you're just worried, okay? [ The words tumble out quick and guilty. ] And I'm sorry for worrying you it's just. [ It sounds so stupid now, ] I really wanted to go and I know you would have been there or told me no so I wouldn't have been able to have fun
( ... )
[ Arthur was ready for a [verbal] fight when she got up but, Eames' hands on his shoulders and then words - far calmer than his own but still maintaining that stern tone that needed to be present - did much to prevent the inevitable shouting match that would have ensued.
And he takes her stance and nervousness in - as well as embarrassment and he can feel his own temper easing off.
He takes another deep breath and lets it out before talking, his voice easier in tone and more neutral, lacking accusation. ]
You could learn to give us the benefit of a doubt, you know. If you had just asked us, talked about it with us, we could have reached a point where everyone agreed with what was going to happen.
I know it's been a while since we were your age but it's not like we forget how it was completelyIt's not like we want to deprive you of pleasurable experiences, either, Dina. Maybe we just want to be apart of them with you - even if it's just for you to get permission to go. No matter how old you get, you'll always be our daughter
( ... )
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But it was coming. Rest assured of that, it was coming. As soon as he could get the urge to smack Eames upside his head to go away. ]
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This is the customary pre punishment silence. It's only a matter of time until she breaks. And break she does, turning to point at Arthur. ]
I wasn't going anywhere bad, you know, and you wouldn't have caught me if you hadn't been going to the bathroom.
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I wouldn't point your finger at me right now, young lady.
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However, he is speaking to Geraldine when he says, * Dina, behave like a young lady. You know how your father feels about pointing.
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Or what, you'll break it that way?
[ Still she drops her hand into her lap, looking at the table instead of either of them. Neither has ever laid a hand on her, but as a teenager in trouble, she's prone to saying the rudest of things. She scuffs a sneakered foot on the floor and seems to have shut her mouth at the moment. ]
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He closes his eyes and counts to ten, leaning back slightly into the pressure of his husband's hand on his back before opening them back up. His tone is more along the "normal" scale. ]
And just what "non-bad" place were you going so late at night. And by yourself, no less?
You're not 10-feet tall and bullet-proof, Dina, so quit acting like it and realize that something terrible could have happened to you.
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I was going to Megan's, she's throwing a party.
[ 'Megan' was a senior at her high school. And at his words she glared harder at the table. ]
I know that I'm not! But it's only like five blocks from here, dad! And I was going to come back in a couple hours!
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You don't have any friends named Megan
[ Arthur does make it his business to know these kind of things.
Just as he makes it a point to describe, in detail, just what could happen within that span of "only five blocks": that she could be abducted or raped or disemboweled and left in the streets to die, and the list could go on. ]
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Because while their daughter may not have any friends named Megan, she does have a proficiency for writing perfectly stylized M's with her calligraphy pens (Eames' gift to her on her twelfth birthday, and the source of many forged notes, Eames is proud to say) and has a tendency to stare a little too long at the sunshine blonde hair of the ever unreachable Senior Circle-- Megan being one of said seniors.
He turns to press a kiss to Arthur's jaw, a silent apology for not telling him sooner, and possibly avoiding telling him at all if he can. A crush is a special thing, and sometimes, you don't want to share it with your parents, or even your friends. Giving their daughter a sympathetic look look, Eames says, * Dina, we both know your ( ... )
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(She doesn't know Arthur has good reason to worry, given his history with teenagers and partying.)
She tucks her chin against her neck when Eames speaks, drawing her legs up from under the table and up to her chest. Her face does indeed get redder at the mention of the senior's name. Megan barely knows she exists but tonight was a chance!
Was, anyway. ]
Right, okay, even if he isn't being extremely overprotective, would you have even said yes? Dad would have wanted to pocket check everyone and you would have - done something sneaky and we know it.
[ Like not leave. ]
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Oh, excuse me! How could we have forgotten ourselves?
[ He pauses in his dramatics and sarcasm to put his hands on his hips and glare. ]
I didn't know giving a rat's ass about our daughter's life was a crime nowadays!
[ Arthur's temper was something he was able to keep better control of than when he was younger but sometimes... it could still make an appearance. ]
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Looking at their daughter, Eames buts in. * Yes, Geraldine, if you had asked and let me talk your father into letting me take you there, you could have gone to this party. And I most likely would have done something terribly sneaky on your father's orders, but the point is you wouldn't have known I was snooping and you could have still had a good time with your friends.
* Eames' hand makes a soothing once over on Arthur's back, his voice turning apologetic and stern at the same time. * But your father is right. We * He makes sure to emphasize the part where this isn't Arthur vs Geraldine-- this is her parents caring about ( ... )
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She'd jumped out of her chair to her feet when Arthur spoke, opening her mouth to argue right back at him, but Eames' cuts in at the right time and it makes her snap her mouth shut, crossing her arms in front of herself.
The 'hah, you just said you would follow me!' Doesn't make a good response to what Eames said either. Dina looks down at her feet again. ]
I get- I get that you're just worried, okay? [ The words tumble out quick and guilty. ] And I'm sorry for worrying you it's just. [ It sounds so stupid now, ] I really wanted to go and I know you would have been there or told me no so I wouldn't have been able to have fun ( ... )
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And he takes her stance and nervousness in - as well as embarrassment and he can feel his own temper easing off.
He takes another deep breath and lets it out before talking, his voice easier in tone and more neutral, lacking accusation. ]
You could learn to give us the benefit of a doubt, you know. If you had just asked us, talked about it with us, we could have reached a point where everyone agreed with what was going to happen.
I know it's been a while since we were your age but it's not like we forget how it was completelyIt's not like we want to deprive you of pleasurable experiences, either, Dina. Maybe we just want to be apart of them with you - even if it's just for you to get permission to go. No matter how old you get, you'll always be our daughter ( ... )
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