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Maybe. Without any other indications in the story, though, it still comes across as an error. If you'd rather leave it, that's fine; I just thought you'd want to know.Or maybe Dinah spent time in Canada and she joined the Guides there
Maybe. Without any other indications in the story, though, it still comes across as an error. If you'd rather leave it, that's fine; I just thought you'd want to know.
I was a Girl Scout for several years and I don't recall hearing "Girl Guide" uttered even once. The term really isn't a thing in America.TBH I'd never heard of the Girl Guides before so I just assumed they were alt-universe Girl Scouts. The more you know I guess.
Danny set the stove on low and turned around. "Taylor?"
"Mmm?" She looked up from the exercise book and the dice.
"You look like you want to ask me a question. In fact, you've had that look on your face ever since they left."
"I … oh god." She took her glasses off and buried her face in her hands; her voice came out somewhat muffled. "I don't even know where to begin."
His was somewhat amused. "Not an uncommon reaction when dealing with Andrea Campbell, I've found."
"And Annette. Her too. Trust me." Moving her hands from over her face, she locked them together in the hair on top of her head, looking down at the table. "I don't even know how to begin to process what happened between us."
He pulled out a chair and sat down on the other side of the table. "So talk to me about it. Or did things happen that you aren't comfortable talking about?"
Looking up at him, she flushed slightly. "You mean, did she make a pass at me? Yeah, she did. Did anything more happen? Nope. I turned her down."
"And how did she take it?" His voice was as neutral as he could make it.
The slightest shrug. "She … took it really well, actually. Wanted to know if we were still friends. We talked about other stuff then. It didn't come up again."
"So are you still friends?" There was no judgement, no pressure in his tone.
She took a deep breath. "Yeah. I guess. There's no getting over the fact that this sort of thing does make things just a bit weird. I mean, your best friend telling you she -" She coughed, then steeled herself, "- she thinks you're hot? I mean, how do you even get past that?" Her eyes were on the table again.
"You just do." His tone was firm. "I learned to, years ago, with her mother."
That got a reaction; her eyes jerked upward to meet his. Without her glasses, they were still slightly unfocused, but she did it anyway. "What?"
He smiled wryly. "Andrea's always been that way. Very open, especially about who she was attracted to and, well, stuff like that."
"Uh, yeah, I saw that with Annette," she agreed. "Boy, did I see that."
The smile became a chuckle. "No, you saw the watered down version. Andrea in college was like the Andrea you met, only with the brakes off and full steam ahead."
She blinked a couple of times. "Holy shit."
"Yeah. That was kind of my reaction, many times."
She took a deep breath. "Annette seems to really enjoy shocking people. Is that …"
" … what Andrea does?" He shook his head. "She just doesn't care about other people's judgement of her actions. She does what she does. As far as she's concerned," he coughed, "uh, sleeping with people is just something that happens. It's what people do. There's no need for hangups or emotional scenes."
"Wow. And we left you alone with her." She gave him a searching look. "Can I ask what happened between you two? Or don't I want to know? You looked a bit shell-shocked when we got back upstairs."
He looked a little uncomfortable. "Well, yeah, it was a bit of a shock to the system to have all her attention on me for the first time in years. She's very direct. I'd kind of forgotten that."
"And?" The question was asked reluctantly.
He took a deep breath. "And, well, yes. I'll be seeing more of her. In fact, she might be coming over sometime, to, uh, stay the night. And bringing Annette for a sleepover. If that's okay?"
"Wait." Taylor's voice was flat. "Annette's mom is going to be staying the night. With you."
He cringed slightly. "I, uh, yes?" A long pause. "I mean, I did love your mother and all, I still do, but it has been more than two years, and Andrea kind of reminded me that I do have needs, and -"
"Ew. Okay. Please stop talking now." Taylor made a 'time-out' gesture. "I do not need to hear about your 'needs'."
"Okay. Sorry. Fine. But is it okay if …"
"... if Annette's mom comes over to spend the night?"
"If they both come over. Annette has a sleepover, and well they both do, I guess." His forced levity tried to make it into a joke, and failed.
"And you're asking my permission." She put her glasses on so that she could see him clearly. "Is that what you're doing?"
He looked more than a little hunted. "Uh … yes?"
She took a long moment to consider that. "Well. Um."
"Uh -"
"Sh. Still thinking about it."
She let him hang for a few moments longer, then spoke, carefully and considering every word. "Annette's my friend. It is gonna be a little bit weird between us, but she's still my friend. My best friend, really. She was the first one to help me out at Arcadia and she's been nothing but nice to me. Even if she is attracted to me. Which I'm still having a hard time processing."
Her father looked at her, waiting for her to go on. Finally, she nodded. "So yeah, I think having a sleepover might help. Let me come to terms with how things are. And if Annette can have a sleepover, then … well, everything you said is true. And I like her mom. She's really nice. So yeah." She gave him a warning look. "It's not gonna be any less weird for all of that, but I can accept that."
"Thank you. I appreciate it." He turned back toward the stove.
"Uh, Dad?"
He turned back. "Yeah?"
"One more thing."
"Yeah?"
"Is this likely to be a permanent thing? I mean, am I expected to call her 'mom'? Because I don't think I can do that."
Hastily, he shook his head. "No, no. Andrea doesn't do permanent. And she won't expect that. And I won't either."
She took a deep breath. "Good. Well, I can accept that." A pause. "When's this likely to happen?"
"When I finally get up the nerve to do it."
She chuckled. "Yeah, well, give me warning before you do. So I can get used to the idea too. Deal?"
"Deal."
"Thanks." She went back to the exercise book.
He sighed. "It'll be good having them in our lives, I think. Andrea was always fun for me and Anne-Rose to be around. And at least there won't be any awkward complications. Andrea's about the most uncomplicated person I know."
"Don't I know it," she agreed ruefully. "Annette's so straightforward you could use her as a ruler."
He tasted the stew. "Well, what with your superhero activities, it'll be good to have something uncomplicated to deal with around here."
She stuck out her tongue at him.
...huh.
So, "problems with E88" doesn't include "Kaiser coming to kidnap Annette"?
Ms Russell considered. "Is there likely to be trouble with Kaiser?"
Taylor winced. "Yeah, that's a biggie. You want a yes or no answer, or percentile?"
"Yes or no answer." She indicated the alphabet dice. "I want to see how those go."
Taylor rolled; the dice clattered on the countertop. They came up YES.
"Oh shit." She looked at Ms Russell. "This could be bad."
"Not necessarily. I can talk to him, make sure he knows that we're not going to go head to head with the Empire." Ms Russell pointed at the dice bag. "Can you get a percentile chance of trouble between this team and the Empire Eighty-Eight if I do that?"
"I can try." Taylor dug out all five d10s and rolled them.
Ms Russell eyed the results askance. "I can't tell if it's good or bad."
Taylor, on the other hand, smiled. "It's good. Three point six one nine two percent chance that there will be trouble between the Empire Eighty-Eight and our team if you explain that to them."
I don't know about Australia, but in the USA parental rights are almost impossible to terminate. If at some point Annette had been adopted by someone else this might hold water, but otherwise Max absolutely have a claim over Annette. He'd owe fifteen years worth of child support, but he'd have a claim.And whatever claim you think you had over Annette was dealt with by your father. I saw the paperwork."
Yup.I don't know about Australia, but in the USA parental rights are almost impossible to terminate. If at some point Annette had been adopted by someone else this might hold water, but otherwise Max absolutely have a claim over Annette. He'd owe fifteen years worth of child support, but he'd have a claim.
So she wouldn't, e.g. play along until Max believes that she's safe to have sex with, and then break his dick during the act like that one pornstar did by accident (and on camera IIRC) a few years back? It was all over the internet.Ack said:She actually has two other rules that she didn't mention, considering them self-evident.
She doesn't hurt anyone (ie, while she personally doesn't attach much emotional significance to sex, she's aware that others do, so she won't make someone cheat on their other half. Anne-Rose was a special case ).
She won't have sex with someone she doesn't actually like. I mean, seriously, why would she?
It's more like this.Kaiser manages to turn out even worse than expected. Adorable gaming antics, followed by a cruel Twist... I guess Purity will be very sympathetic. And feeling guilt for Annette being taken rather than Aster - though she might also recognize this as a foreshaodwing of things to come.
Which leaves him alive and extremely vindictive.Making a reply here instead of SV for reasons that will be evident shortly.
So she wouldn't, e.g. play along until Max believes that she's safe to have sex with, and then break his dick during the act like that one pornstar did by accident (and on camera IIRC) a few years back? It was all over the internet.
Part two of that plan is to shank him while he's distracted by EXTREME PAIN. I thought that was obvious.Which leaves him alive and extremely vindictive.
Though I can see him taking the injury to Othala for healing. She'd be laughing so hard she'd be useless for the rest of the day
Part zero: obtain a shankPart two of that plan is to shank him while he's distracted by EXTREME PAIN. I thought that was obvious.
A pillow to the face would work too.
It's more like this.
Kaiser wants an heir.
Theo is the first choice, but he's kinda wimpish. If he succeeded as head of the E88, he'd last about three days.
Aster was the second choice, but she's literally an infant. It would take her twenty years or so to get to the age necessary to be able to take up the reins.
Annette, on the other hand, is fifteen, has personality and will, and is also his legitimate daughter. Max is good at impressing his personality on people around him. He's willing to see if he can bring her around to his way of thinking.
(What he doesn't seem to realise is that he crushes peoples' personalities. He's defeating his own purpose, right there.)
But yeah, that's why he's doing it.
Anything that gives him time to impale her with metal spears erupting from the walls probably won't work, I'd expect.
I really liked this part right here. Theo might hate his father, but he's still influenced by Max.Balding, with glasses and a weak chin, he didn't look like much. Theo metaphorically shook himself. That's what my father would think of him. I am not my father.