He laughs, aware that he's good but still pleased to watch someone openly enjoy his cooking anyway. It's been a bit to hear so from anyone who wasn't his daughter. "Necessity. Mother isn't the best of cooks, bless her heart, so someone out of the two of us had to learn. I made sure I taught Lucie the moment she was able to learn, I didn't want her in the same position I was."
“Polite until people I’m interviewing start dodging my questions,” she replies. Then she becomes like a bulldog.
“Fiction or non-fiction? I read a lot of non-fiction books by journalists who have invested various topics or incidents. On the fiction side, mostly mysteries. What about you?”
It doesn't surprise him to hear that about her, she has that kind of vibe and he's thankful they are just hanging out and that he's not being interviewed by her because she'd sense something off right away. He's not a great liar by any means.
"I love a good mystery, or any kind of dumb pulp fiction thing. Especially if it's got some raunchy sex in it."
Lois can’t help but roll her eyes at that. “They have whole books filled with just raunchy sex,” she replies. He’s pretty horny. Not that Lois isn’t horny. It’s part of why she came here tonight.
“Why do you think you’re an asshole?” she asks. He’s been pretty nice so far, raunchy sex mentions aside.
"Well yeah but that's just porn without plot, if I want that I'll just put on an actual porno." He says with a little shrug. "If I'm reading I like there to be a little more story with my raunchy sex."
The sudden question causes him to blink in surprise and shrug again.
"Because I've been told I am one? I'm rude, blunt, have no class. The list of my shortcomings goes on and on."
“Is there raunchy sex in those pulp fiction detective novels?” she asks. Clearly, she’s not reading the right ones.
Lois takes a sip of beer before continuing. “And I’ve been told that I’m a bitch, but I don’t think that I am, most of the time.” She can’t say never. “Do you think that you act like an asshole?”
“Well, yeah,” Lois replies. “That’s different. Saying wrong things doesn’t make you an asshole. Maybe inconsiderate at times, or brash. I just think of assholes as being mean on purpose, which is why I was wondering why you were so quick to refer to yourself as one.”
"Please. I dare you to ask me to make a real gourmet meal like a Wellington. I tried, trust me," Claurant laughs as he recalls his attempt at it. It was both burnt and undercooked at once, somehow.
"We alternate, yes. It depends mostly on who's home at the time and who feels like cooking, really. I have work and I tend to be out either for that or just... out," he shrugs. He doesn't clarify, because even he acknowledges how awful it sounds to say he leaves his daughter to her own devices so he can party or to sleep. "Or she's at that age where she has her own friends and goes out often. So it varies. She's a better baker than I am, I'll give her that, even if I have a few recipes I'm proud of."
"A Wellington? Isn't that the thing Gordon Ramsay is always yelling about?"
Richard wouldn't pass judgement on Claurant leaving his daughter alone to cook for herself, he's already proven himself to be 100 times more responsible than Richard by having a kid in the first place.
"The very same. And he'd loathe me who I butchered mine, so I'm glad we've never crossed paths."
Yes, the deception is working... continue to believe him to be a responsible man. He loves it.
"I'm a private investigator, actually. More civil cases than criminal ones, but I do get a fair share of criminal cases too. Disappearances, murders, white collar crimes... you name it, I've probably worked it once." He wonders whether or not to mention the book and decides to go for it. "... I've written a novel too. One. I don't entirely plan on publishing another, but it was nice to do."
That’s the thing about Richard. While he’s certainly not conventionally hot, he’s not terrible-looking either. Lois isn’t unattracted to him physically. It’s his personality and work ethic that give her pause.
“I should know by now not to ask,” she replies. “What kind of odd jobs?” Lois puts a hand up. “If the odd jobs involve OnlyFans or something, please spare me those details.”
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2025-12-24 05:02 am (UTC)"You ever read any of those? Or were you too busy cracking skulls in mosh pits?"
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Date: 2025-12-24 02:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-12-24 09:58 pm (UTC)"Necessity my ass, this is like gourmet shit." If it requires more than two steps Richard doesn't do it so Claurant's cooking seems masterful.
"Do you two take turns cooking then?"
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Date: 2025-12-25 05:14 pm (UTC)Lois didn’t like the social aspects of school, but she was a good student, especially in English class.
“I was always very polite in mosh pits, thank you very much.”
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Date: 2025-12-26 11:26 pm (UTC)"What kind of books do you usually read?"
no subject
Date: 2025-12-27 02:41 am (UTC)“Fiction or non-fiction? I read a lot of non-fiction books by journalists who have invested various topics or incidents. On the fiction side, mostly mysteries. What about you?”
no subject
Date: 2025-12-27 03:26 am (UTC)"I love a good mystery, or any kind of dumb pulp fiction thing. Especially if it's got some raunchy sex in it."
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Date: 2025-12-27 03:32 am (UTC)“Why do you think you’re an asshole?” she asks. He’s been pretty nice so far, raunchy sex mentions aside.
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Date: 2025-12-27 04:11 am (UTC)The sudden question causes him to blink in surprise and shrug again.
"Because I've been told I am one? I'm rude, blunt, have no class. The list of my shortcomings goes on and on."
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Date: 2025-12-28 01:03 am (UTC)Lois takes a sip of beer before continuing. “And I’ve been told that I’m a bitch, but I don’t think that I am, most of the time.” She can’t say never. “Do you think that you act like an asshole?”
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Date: 2025-12-28 06:21 am (UTC)Another pause as he thinks about her question.
"Yeah. I think I can be. My mouth kind of has a mind of its own and I sometimes say shit I shouldn't or without thinking. And that hurts people."
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Date: 2025-12-29 02:09 am (UTC)Speaking without thinking… he can work on that.
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Date: 2025-12-29 02:43 am (UTC)"I mean unless someone is a dick to me first, then yeah. I might say shit to hurt them."
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Date: 2025-12-29 02:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-12-29 03:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-12-29 12:49 pm (UTC)"We alternate, yes. It depends mostly on who's home at the time and who feels like cooking, really. I have work and I tend to be out either for that or just... out," he shrugs. He doesn't clarify, because even he acknowledges how awful it sounds to say he leaves his daughter to her own devices so he can party or to sleep. "Or she's at that age where she has her own friends and goes out often. So it varies. She's a better baker than I am, I'll give her that, even if I have a few recipes I'm proud of."
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Date: 2025-12-30 01:41 am (UTC)She really does. Lois finds it difficult to trust most people, and she will never just blindly accept something.
“What other shortcomings do you have?”
no subject
Date: 2025-12-30 02:49 am (UTC)"Wow, uh okay. I can't hold down a job, I don't have any ambition, uhhh.... I've got a really hairy chest and ass?"
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Date: 2025-12-30 06:23 am (UTC)Richard wouldn't pass judgement on Claurant leaving his daughter alone to cook for herself, he's already proven himself to be 100 times more responsible than Richard by having a kid in the first place.
"What do you do for work?"
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Date: 2025-12-31 01:51 am (UTC)The first two faults are a lot more problematic than the last two. “If you’re not working, then what do you do all day?” Lois asks.
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Date: 2025-12-31 07:17 am (UTC)A pause and because it's him he has to add.
"Masturbate."
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Date: 2025-12-31 01:02 pm (UTC)Yes, the deception is working... continue to believe him to be a responsible man. He loves it.
"I'm a private investigator, actually. More civil cases than criminal ones, but I do get a fair share of criminal cases too. Disappearances, murders, white collar crimes... you name it, I've probably worked it once." He wonders whether or not to mention the book and decides to go for it. "... I've written a novel too. One. I don't entirely plan on publishing another, but it was nice to do."
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Date: 2026-01-01 03:03 am (UTC)Because shit certainly ain’t free.
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Date: 2026-01-02 02:27 am (UTC)"No, she's back in Canada." Which is where he's from originally.
"And I pay for shit by doing a lot of odd jobs."
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Date: 2026-01-02 02:55 am (UTC)“I should know by now not to ask,” she replies. “What kind of odd jobs?” Lois puts a hand up. “If the odd jobs involve OnlyFans or something, please spare me those details.”