lian-harper

[lian-harper]

She anxiously looked at her Dad, bouncing on the bed in anticipation. "Aaaaw, come on Daddy. Please? I wanna show everyone my tats!" That was how you could say it too, right? She thought so. "And they're really cool."

Daddy! [hops onto his bed excitedly] Lookie! [tugs up her sleeve to show an upside down, badly drawn, marker attempt of one of Roy's tattoos]

Roy’s eyes opened slowly at the sound of his little girl’s joyful exuberance. As far as he was concerned, Saturday mornings were more for sleeping in than watching cartoons even if Transformers was on.

"Hey, that’s pretty good work. Looks like you tried to draw the poison one. What’d you use to draw it?"

#ohconair

[lian-harper]

"Oh! Can we color my tattoos?" Lian giggled. She already had a ton of ideas for tattoos. "I want a big arrow on my back. Oh oh and a rocket ship! And a transformer! And a cat." She knew which cat too. She held out arm excitedly, hoping her Dad would start soon.

Daddy! [hops onto his bed excitedly] Lookie! [tugs up her sleeve to show an upside down, badly drawn, marker attempt of one of Roy's tattoos]

Roy’s eyes opened slowly at the sound of his little girl’s joyful exuberance. As far as he was concerned, Saturday mornings were more for sleeping in than watching cartoons even if Transformers was on.

"Hey, that’s pretty good work. Looks like you tried to draw the poison one. What’d you use to draw it?"

#ohconair

[lian-harper]

Lian couldn't help but frown. It wasn't permanent? "But I tried really hard to get a tattoo like yours" she mumbled. And she thought it looked good. Sure, it was upside down, but she could read it.

She did shift, staring away from her Dad for a few moments. "Um...well those were the best kind."

Daddy! [hops onto his bed excitedly] Lookie! [tugs up her sleeve to show an upside down, badly drawn, marker attempt of one of Roy's tattoos]

Roy’s eyes opened slowly at the sound of his little girl’s joyful exuberance. As far as he was concerned, Saturday mornings were more for sleeping in than watching cartoons even if Transformers was on.

"Hey, that’s pretty good work. Looks like you tried to draw the poison one. What’d you use to draw it?"

#ohconair

[lian-harper]

"Uh huh! I got permanent marker! Now it's a tattoo that isn't going to leave. Just like your tattoos!"

Daddy! [hops onto his bed excitedly] Lookie! [tugs up her sleeve to show an upside down, badly drawn, marker attempt of one of Roy's tattoos]

Roy’s eyes opened slowly at the sound of his little girl’s joyful exuberance. As far as he was concerned, Saturday mornings were more for sleeping in than watching cartoons even if Transformers was on.

"Hey, that’s pretty good work. Looks like you tried to draw the poison one. What’d you use to draw it?"

#ohconair

[lian-harper]

She grinned and began flipping through the songs. KISS was her pick as she began to try (emphasis on try) and sing 'Rock and Roll All Night'. "Rock on!" she squealed happily.

The car stereo had a line in port and a permanently attached cable. “Here, you pick,” he told her, pulling his uPhone from his pocket. “Anything you want.”

#ohconair

[lian-harper]

Lian's little cheek wriggled slightly and she sighed. "One day" she said. Maybe she could try and be smart and wear it on a half day. No one could bug her about it. "Oh oh, Dad? What song are we gonna rock out to?"

He mock-pinched Lian’s cheek with the knuckles on his right hand. “Just one day. I promise. And then we can donate it to the Sally Ann.”

#ohconair

[lian-harper]

"Aaaaaaw" Lian grumbled. Well she could wear it on the weekends and after school. That was the fun part. Still, wearing that stuff rocked and her Dad's drum skills were top notch still. "Okay. I can do that. I don't have to wear the dress to school, do I? Cause I don't wanna. "

"Tell you what. We’ll get some plain tees and order some iron-on patches on the internet if we can’t get any shirts. But you won’t be able to wear them to school. Those snooty…people won’t like it."

#ohconair

[lian-harper]

"So lucky" she insisted. "I want to wear stuff like that. Do you still have band T-shirts in my size?" she asked. Maybe Roy still had some merch from his old band.

"Dresses are weird," Roy agreed. "But I didn’t have to wear any. When I was a kid, boys weren’t allowed to wear dresses or we’d get teased. I never wanted to though. I was happiest in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt of some rock band."

#ohconair

[lian-harper]

"Maybe it'll be like Indiana Jones! I'll wear books on the end of my feet and drive around and be chased by mobsters!" Someone had been going through Dad's DVD stash lately.

She was all belted up and ready to go. Still, the prospect of wearing a belt wasn't too exciting. "Okay I guess" she sighed. "But dresses are weird, you know? You never had to wear any, did you?"

"Oh, right," he said, putting the little girl gently down in front of the truck. "And I think you might have to grow some longer legs so you can push on the pedals and see over the wheel at the same time."

Roy opened up the passenger door. He’d personally disabled the passenger airbag in the truck just so his daughter could ride shotgun with him. The only other person inclined to ride shotgun with him was Kori and she could get hit by a Mack truck without injury.

"Well, I guess we can go get Transformers after," the doting Dad conceded. "But you have to promise you’ll try on a couple dresses so we can get a nice one for picture day. Then I promise, no dresses ‘til Christmastime."

#ohconair

[lian-harper]

"Cause I don't have a license, silly" Lian giggled. Maybe when she was older, she could drive her Dad around. For the time being though, it'd just be her bike skills and Roy was clearly not big enough for that.

"But Daaaaaad" she groaned. Dresses? Really? It felt weird. She didn't like the wind that high up. She couldn't run around without the dress getting snagged on something. She pouted, shifting her weight around before sighing.

"Can it be Transformer toys? Please? I'll be really really good. I promise. I'll..." She felt sick to her very core. "I'll even try on a dress."

"Why’s it always got to be my job?" he whined, putting on a mock pout for his daughter’s benefit.

He sighed. Always with the toys. Now he was coming to understand that cartoons were sponsored by toy companies just looking to hock their crap at kids like his daughter and make it look more exciting than a pile of boring plastic.

"Maybe," he said noncommittally. "But you have to be good and try on the clothes, even a dress without complaining, and help me pick out the stuff your teacher put on the list of supplies for class."

#ohconair

[lian-harper]

Lian couldn't help but laugh. She knew some girls asked why she didn't wear much pink. She looked good in anything and in any color in her opinion. Besides, red was an awesome color. Green too.

"No silly, that's your job" she laughed. She let out a whoop of joy as she was slung over her Dad's shoulder. Her ponytail batted Roy's face before flopping out of the way. "Can we get toys while we're out? Please Daddy?"

"That’s my girl." Roy wasn’t a great fan of pink and had been sort of relieved that his daughter loathed the color. And then he’d feel a little guilty because he really didn’t know how to teach Lian the girly things.

He picked her up and tossed her carelessly over his shoulder. “You call shotgun? You mean you’re not gonna drive?”

#ohconair

[lian-harper]

"Maybe some green and blue. But pink? No way! I look really good anyways. Aunt Dinah says I look really nice and pretty."

"Ooooh! Can we? Please? I want them extra cheesy! And I call shotgun!"

"You can wear some red. But don’t you want to change it up a little? Some nice green, a little blue, maybe some pink? And we should probably find a dress for picture day, too."

"We’re taking the truck. Too much stuff to carry home on the bike. Maybe we can go to J-Mart and get everything in one place. And if you’re really, really good? We can go have cheesy fries at the Gotham Fries in the mall."

#ohconair

[lian-harper]

"Eeeew! No way! Orange and green are yucky together. Can't I wear red? Like loads of red? OH and what are we taking?"

"Lian! Come on. S’time to go. Unless you want me to bring you green pants and orange t-shirts to wear to school this year."

#ohconair

[lian-harper]

I like cats! But okay! Bon Jovi! OOOOOOOH! We're halfway there, WHOOOAOOO! Living on a prayer!

Daddy? Can I jam to some of your music?

Sure. I’m gonna teach you to headbang. Now should we put on…hmm, no that one’s all about pussy… and that one’s got swears and I got into enough trouble for that already with your school…

Bon Jovi?

#ohconair

[lian-harper]

Father’s Day | Roy Harper

[lian-harper]

Lian giggled, her smile big and toothy as ever. "Yeah! Oh oh! And can we go to the Watch Tower? I wanna see space! And can we also go see your home Daddy? It's loads of fun."

Daddy! School's out! Are you ready to par-TAH?

"You bet, Princess," he said, scooping the little girl into his arms. "Now what will we do with those days off? Go ride the teacups at Six Banners of Gotham?"

#ohconair

[lian-harper]

Lian and Rose are just to precious for me to handle.