<div align="center"><strong>-=Simeon Gaorong - adopting and unadopting a daughter - Ferret's Hothouse, Persephone=-</strong></div><br/>Having the capacity for snide chatter is not the same thing as looking for opportunities to indulge in it. The hint apparently had not gotten across; not important, but not an incentive to keep up that line of conversation. Simeon answered him simply as they caught up to their lady leader, saying, "My name is Simeon, but if you need to call me, 'Help' gets my attention almost as well."<br/><br/>There was little else to be said. To be perfectly honest if he were asked he likely would not have been able to repeat what Stephen had said thereafter; he registered the man's speech, but wasn't paying all that much attention to the content. It had been clear the man was either uncomfortable with the new arrangement or simply obnoxious by default. In either case he was hardly a joy to listen to long at the moment. Hopefully he would be better company once he had had time to settle in, else this new dichotomy looked to be fair unpleasant for both parties.<br/><br/>That would wait - indeed it must given its existence in the future. The present had other matters with which to contend. "...aren't you just the sweetest<em>ever</em>to come with me and daddy to help pick out the flowers for my bouquet!" For example, impromptu Daddy Dearest disguise time. Not that the role was one ill-suited to his appearance, but there was always a terrible sense of awkwardness to that dynamic: the young attractive woman in authority playing herself down to call him "Daddy." It bore implications. Some were enticing. Given the context, those were not the ones on which he had the luxury of dwelling.<br/><br/>The more awkward aspects were what he lent focus, playing up his fastidiousness a touch in checking his cuff links while walking in the happy couple's wake. "Oh yes," he said, "extremely generous of him to come along and watch me foot the bill for everything. Again." A disappointed parent wasn't difficult at all to put on as guises went. Take that initial dislike of Stephen's attitude, twist it a little, then let it show rather than keep it filed away in the Unhelpful column.To a momentary observer passing by the difference between dislike of a stranger for himself and dislike of a young man for capturing his daughter's heart was indistinguishable. All the same, he kept his visible attention on Stephen and Sasha until he saw her drop the act; it wouldn't do for a father seemingly focused on his daughter's special day and not-so-special groom to get distracted wondering if they were alone yet, after all. He waited on her cue to drop the bristling bear facade as he had picked up on it to begin.<br/><br/>The crew of The Gamble might be disorganized and immature in some parts, but Miss Dearing - and the Captain, when he was being serious - did their parts well. It was always a quietly satisfying experience when they worked on the same page with little preamble to prime such engagements. They worked well together, to an extent.<br/><br/>As they followed their guide away from the bright and legitimate section of Ferret's work space, Si cleared his throat and noted in that solemn manner of his, "Given the Captain's recent<em>preoccupation</em>with certain feminine aspects of the crew, perhaps it would be better not to tell him you like to call me 'Daddy.' I would hate for him to get the wrong idea." No, of course he's not smiling. That would ruin the joke. All the better with Stephen along if he couldn't tell whether the uptight ex-brass was being serious or not.