#oo3. verse:: mock retirement & martini tuesdays (modern au)

[vaulttecexec]

@janeyjhoward → ❝ don’t play the victim. ❞ the scene: they're talking abt the divorce w/young adult janey and someone did not react well. don't hurt me too much, mother. (x, accepting)

don't play the victim.

"what do you want me to tell you, janey? do you want me to tell you that i fucked up? that i miscalculated? it isn't his fault, and he had no part in it? i don't know what it is you want to hear." she rubs her brow, easing a budding migraine.

she'd asked, and barb wasn't going to lie to her. she was old enough to know what happened and why.

"i didn't intentionally hurt your father. i didn't go out of my way to ruin my own marriage. i didn't plan to be doing this alone. i didn't want to keep fighting, okay?" there's a sincerity there. she doesn't want to keep fighting now, either.

don't play the victim.

"and that? the fighting? it's all we did. for months, we fought about everything and nothing, and the only thing we could agree on was you, because the best thing i've ever done in my life is you. i'm sorry if i ruined your life and if i made things harder. trust me, it wasn't my plan to." she needs out of that office. they're rehashing feelings she shoved in a box to keep going.

don't play the victim.

"so, yeah, kid. i don't talk about him. i don't pit you against him to have you like me better, and i don't tell you he's an awful person, because i don't know him anymore. i'm not exactly his best memory, am i? i'm just the woman he thought he knew and ended up hating by the end of it all. " she says. "and it's easy for you to hate me, because i'm the one giving you all the rules, and the structure, and i work too much, right? that's fine, janey. you aren't the first howard to hate me. but what we won't do? what we aren't going to do is sit here and claim is that i'm playing the victim in shit, because i've owned up to what i've done. every time. do you understand me?"

so, having a young adult was worse than having a teenager. who would've known.

[vaulttecexec]

so, they tiptoe. it's not the first nor will it be the last time they've attempted to test their newfound peace with one another. she finally looks up from the book in her lap, brow arching. "she's in malibu with friends. not exactly thrilled with having parents or anything close to rules, so fine by janey standards."

he earns himself a snort, and she moves, gesturing to the couch she just abandoned. there was no way in hell they were about to sit together and stare at the wall. "you didn't come all the way over here to ask about your daughter who visits you every tuesday, did you? you could've call for that or called her."

+ memes / accepting!

@vaulttecexec said: if you ever want to talk, i'm here to listen.

        He offers her a soft smile and nods. It's still...not weird, but not normal either, talking with her, being friends. While he doesn't think of friends as less than, it is a strange situation to go from marriage to friends. But he thinks they're better this way in the end. "No, I know, but I didn't come by just to talk about myself all day." Besides, it feels unfair to unload on her about his troubles.

        "How's Janey been?" She's older now, busier. "Thought she mighta been around...not that I don't enjoy catchin' up with you, too." He enjoys it. He just...doesn't do it often. It just never feels quite right.

[vaulttecexec]

@janeyjhoward → She came through the front door holding a kitten. "Mom, can we keep it!" there were definite heart eyes and a little calico baby to join the family.

she looks up from her file, brow arching. the two dogs weren't enough. leave it to janey to find a kitten. she doesn't want to say no, but she isn't sure she has the time or the patience to keep up with another pet. she loves her daughter, but she knows as soon as the new wears off, she'd be looking after the little thing.

"baby, while i would love to let you-" she starts, but the look on her daughter's face melts her.

she sighs, getting up to take the kitten from janey. this won't end well. she feels it. looking at this tiny cat, she knows she's already lost, but they didn't need to know that. janey didn't need to know that.

"ask your dad." and she's walking back to her desk, kitten in her arms and dozing.

yeah, so they'd be keeping the kitten. good luck getting it away from your mom, janey. she's attached.