All men are beasts~ (FatherFigure x Rhubarb)

[Rhubarb]

The clouds passed by the window in the evening sky, they looked like pig wads of cotton candy in a sea of powder blue. Normally this weather would have made her happy, but all Lucille Bellavance could think of was the funeral earlier that week. The coffin had been ivory with roses of res white and pink practically cascading over the sides. Placed on a lavish moving platform six women in matching dress-suits, including herself, had walked around it as it was delivered to it's resting place. It was beautiful, she knew her mother Melony would've loved it. Lucy tapped the toe of her red peep-toe heel on the ugly carpet adorning the floor of the first class cabin, an unopened magazine laying limply in her lap. She reached over and picked up her water bottle bringing it to her cranberry painted lips and sipping. Other than that small action the sixteen year old had been staring out the window this entire trip. She desperately wanted for this plane ride to be over, she hated long flights, and she was so eager to get to Los Angeles, to see her father. After six years she still remembered him so vividly, tall, handsome, dashing. So unlike any other man, she could trust him; she couldn't trust them. She'd known how much it had broken his heart when her mother had taken her away, and made her change her last name, she hadn't wanted to do either of those things. She had to admit however, that the move to Paris had been beneficial in many ways as well; she was currently fluent in French as well as English, and maintained dual citizenship. Lucille had attended all the best schools, when it came time she would be able to attend almost any university she desired.

However, she didn't care about any of that now, she just wanted to see him, to have him hug her with his strong arms, and let her cry all over him. Lucille pulled a small compact from the pocket of her dress and examined herself in the mirror. Pale skin, sky blue eyes, red lips and luscious mahogany hair that fell down her back just above her posterior. She wore the outfit her father had sent her for her birthday, a Navy blue thick strap dress with white polka dots, and a red belt at the waist, the skirt fanned out slightly and went down to her knees. She wore a matching red ascot around her neck.

As she was examining herself to make sure she still looked decent the man to her right leaned over and talked quietly. "You've looked beautiful this entire ride, no need to double check now." Instantly she shot the man a bone chilling glare and turned back to the window just as the intercom dinged before a man's voice spoke. "Arriving at Los Angeles national airport in 5 minutes, please prepare for landing." Lucille breathed out smiling slightly.

After unboarding the plane she quickly went to the conveyor and grabbed her simple red leather duffle bag, then walked out into the positively huge lobby looking around. She almost worried he was running late, when suddenly she saw him, standing there just feet away from the exit staring right at her. She instantly put a hand over her mouth, and a tear rolled down her cheek. He looked just as she remembered. Running as fast as her body could in heels she crossed the threshold between them in less than a minute. "Daddy! she cried as she immediately wrapped her arms around him and cried into his shoulder. She spoke, just a hint of a french accent in her voice. "I missed you so much..."

 

[Father Figure]

Some men aspired to power and others simply radiated it.

Her father was one that radiated authority. It was not through any need or measured attempt that gained him the attention of other's eyes as they passed by. It was merely as natural as breathing to the older man, the growth of a man who's confidence had finally caught up to his brilliant, and who's charm had slowly wormed it's way through the many years of taciturn and introverted behavior. It was not something he talked of in all honesty, not something he of course had shared in his communications with his daughter, but he often thought to himself that if he had been the man he'd become when her mother had been with him...perhaps she never would have left and taken his daughter from him. Then again, perhaps it was that pain which had led to the creation of who he had become, the unstoppable business man who could negotiate any deal and broker any arrangement. That pain had underscored every aspect of what he was, the kind of human being who saw to the core of what other's happened to be and knew their needs as if they had written it out for him to read aloud.

It had made him remarkably dangerous.

Reclining there at the airport he seemed at ease but separate from the other passerby. It was always in the stature, his six ft. one frame strong and self-assured as he leaned back in the uncomfortable airport lounge chair. One hand idly fiddled with his cellphone as the other held a cup of coffee, sipping idly as he continued to go through work emails. The strong fingers moved swiftly over his phone, scrolling the feed so he could keep track of various things happening in the office, occasionally his brow furrowing the tiniest of bits as he tried to piece together an appropriate response that would yield the results he required. His shoulders were always relaxed, even if the face was not, his large frame seeming to hold a measure of ease that the eyes betrayed was not the truth. He seemed languid, calm and collected, the center of everything happening around him. Yet those aristocratic features, the dark professionally kept hair and the intense eyes gave the impression that he was always on alert. Always prepared for whatever might cross his path.

That was of course until he saw her. As the announcement came of the passengers being offloaded, he idly sat his coffee down on the nearby table and he stood, smoothing out his clothing in some mild trepidation. It was not a natural feeling for him to ensure, but he was a man who had not seen his daughter in years since the rather messy divorce that had come about. She took his breath away as she came out into the lobby, seeing her in the flesh and he finally smiled. It was a smile that had been absent the entire time he had sat in the airport, but for her he graced the world with it and it turned his surly features into something worth loving. It was like seeing the sunrise on a stormy day. His arms wrapped around her, strong and hard, crushing her against him as he lifted her up just slightly and he spoke quietly to her.

"My little Lucy."

 

[Rhubarb]

The vice grip hug her father embraced her with and the smell of his cologne made it all worth it; the long strenuous plane ride and the creepy man were the least of her worries now. She wasn't even dwelling on her mother's death. Continuing to cry until the tears eventually subsided quietly, she finally pulled back and looked up at his face. She was just as she remembered him, his hair maybe a little more grey. "Oh father... This last decade has been kind to your handsome face, from the looks of it the same is true for the rest of you as well." Adjusting his suit collar she chuckled to herself. She took a step back so she could get a good look at him, and him at her. As she stood there she gave off the aura of a classic french beauty, vintage and delicate, her luscious dark brown hair cascading down her back. Her painted red lips a shocking contrast against her pale skin. Her figure slim and delicate, she had the long smooth legs of her mother, her torso was the perfect hour glass shape, not any excess weight, but by no means was she bony. She looked a lot like her mother, but at the same time she was definitely her own being. Fragile and delicate, though she radiated authority like her father though she was no match for him when it came to that. When it came to business Lucille could be a cold snake just like her mother, but just like Melony she would be easily overpowered and taken down a few notches by a man such as him. She'd inherited her mother's fashion line, though currently it was being "run" by a family friend, but Lucille pulled the strings and operated from behind the scenes.

Lucille hugged her father tightly one more time then backed up and looked at the ground tapping her fingers on her skirt for a moment. "S-she asked me to give you this when I saw you again... I don't know what it says, I haven't read it. I'm sorry if it's, something nasty." She pulled and intricate red envelope from a pocket in her skirt and gently placed it into his hand.
"Anyway Daddy, can we go home? I'm exhausted."

On the ride home she leaned her head on his shoulder and took in the city lights, happy that she could see her father again, live with him again.

 

[Father Figure]

Tears were not something he was given to indulging in, but when she began to cry he was definitely moved. He didn't find it in himself to let any fall down his face, but he was compassionate to say the least and more than willing to comfort someone he knew needed him. While he had her mother had become estranged, she had been there with her until the end and it was without a doubt something that he knew must have hurt her and hurt her terribly. As the hug slowly broke he took the envelope from her and gave it a glance, knowing it was something he would want to read, knowing that now was probably not the best time to do such a thing. The emotions were far to raw for them both, the love he had for her mother had dwindled to be sure, but it had never died and he was very certain he was unable to read her words publically without being hurt deeply concerning it. Instead he would let it wait until he had privacy, a bit of time to come to his own terms regarding everything that happened.

He gave a small nod at her request.

As they rode home he ignored the rest of the world, even leaving the radio off so he could pay attention to her and whatever was on her mind. He tried to ignore the fact though that this reminded him in a way of those times when he had driven along the highway with her mother, thinking about the future and trying to come to an agreement on what they would be doing in ten years. He had never imagined at the time that the future would have entailed her being gone and him riding alone with their daughter...and daughter he had not seen in years. It was a surreal experience, something that touched him to the core and left him a bit introspective as he stared out the window as he drove. He might have been a man given to luxury, but he was not a man who enjoyed giving up his freedom and so while she might have expected a chauffeur or the like instead she found herself riding in his private vehicle alone with him. The arm around her shoulder gave an occasional soft squeeze, finally releasing her as they pulled off the highway and downtown.

Finally though they arrived at the apartment complex where he kept his home and his small business offices, it was nice but hardly as awe inspiring as the extravagant lifestyle his daughter had led overseas. It was hardly even worthy of being called rich to be sure, once more emphasizing the difference between the two people...while her mother had gone on to lead a life in the limelight, her Father had decided to keep his own world and work a little understated and far from the eye of other people. Instead the cozy downtown apartment, while well done and definitely upper class, had it's own feeling that they were alone in the world...which is exactly what he wanted.

His hands turned on the lights, leading her in, his voice quiet as he spoke. "You must be tired from your trip, did you want some kind of dinner? I could order something delivered for us?"

 

[Rhubarb]

The entire ride to the house was quiet, and as they pulled up Lucille smiled, she needed away from the media buzz that had taken over her life, and the small, quaint, yet classy apartment looked perfect. As she walked up the driveway with her heels clacking on the concrete she smiled taking in her surroundings. When the lights flicked on she was glad the entire was much like the outside, pleasing to the eye but not overly extravagant. As he asked her if she wanted to eat she walked over to the refrigerator opening it. "There's no need Dad, I can make us something." Gathering the ingredients she put a couple of steaks in an oiled pan to sauté, she added some various spices as they continued to cook." So how has the company been? Are things going okay?" After about 20 minutes and a few texts to the figurehead of her late mother's company, aptly named De Beauvoir after one of the first renowned feminists, Lucille put the finishing touches on the steaks and quickly whipped up some sides.

Walking back to her father she set down a plate in front of him and one for herself then went into the kitchen returning with a can of pepsi for herself and a large margarita for him, and a bag of potato chips. "Steak with Garlic Butter and Chimichurri, cooked just the way you like it... And Potato chips... Oh! and a Margarita, you like them blended if I remember correctly? Sorry, it's not super fancy daddy, but if I have to eat another french delicacy the size of a cookie for a meal I may lose my mind." She handed him his drink and then sat by him opening her beverage and tasting her meal. "I missed this dad, I missed you, I really did. I love you." She leaned over and gave her dad a quick kiss on the cheek before going back to eating.