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Tweak says, "CHIMEKO ROCKS YOUR SOCKS OFF"

Lila Gray (burningveins) wrote in light_of_may,
@ 2011-06-16 00:47:00

Entry tags:

2009-08-17, lila, madeleine

Gonna tell me what you are?
Who: Lila and Madeleine + NPC familiars
Where: Madeleine's
When: Late afternoon

Scarlet Oak wasn't that interesting. Lila had managed to come to that conclusion days ago but it hadn't been changed by anything as of yet. The only interesting things that happened here that hadn't anywhere else in the world were her daughter revealing that yes, she actually was pregnant, and then of course there was the father of her child. Lila wouldn't lie and say that she wished anything but that she found him first, but he seemed to make Madeleine happy. And that was more than could be said for that rather useless water elemental she had been married to. Lila hadn't been at all distraught when she learned of Anthony's death. He'd been no real use to anyone. He hadn't helped to give her a grandchild and had apparently been a part of the reason why Madeleine left England.

'But if he hadn't then you wouldn't have a grandchild on the way because she wouldn't have found the snake-man.'

"Point," Lila conceded as she finished brushing her hair and allowed her familiar to climb up her arm and perch on her shoulder. He seemed to enjoy sitting there, where he could play with her hair, and it didn't actually bother her. Even if she had a strong feeling that part of the reason why he enjoyed it so had something to do with the fact that it made him very visible and he was fully aware that Madeleine was the opposite of fond of him. "I can still be irritated if I choose so."

'I've yet to find a fire elemental who isn't able to find a reason to be irritated even if they're having the best day on the planet.'

"If you weren't my familiar I would char you for that." Lila's smile was amused as she began to look for her daughter.

'You just made my point perfectly well.'

Ignoring that statement she spotted a familiar head of hair. As well she hoped that the only other person she came across in this house was Madeleine. Unless it was Zaviar... "Madeleine, darling, I cannot believe that this city spent an entire weekend celebrating the water. Tell me you've heard tell that they do the same for fire."

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burnlyrical
2011-06-16 02:31 pm UTC (link)

She had tried texting both Zaviar and her mother seven times. 'You know could just try looking for Lila.' Seven times. Only everything she had written seemed completely and utterly ridiculous and, frankly, not the kind of thing you said when declaring you had achieved your mastery. Exactly how were you supposed to word that , anyway? It didn't strike her as the kind of thing that was supposed to be said via text. Not to her mother, at any rate. It didn't help that while her hands were steadier, they were not steady enough to stop her from making multiple spelling mistakes and getting extremely agitated. 'Madeleine, please put the phone down.' To her familiar's vague amusement, the elemental immediately dropped her cell the way the rest of the world would a hot coal. For once she seemed far too aware of her state of mind. Althea was rather enjoying the contrast. 'Fire is a bad influence on you,' the snake commented for what might have been the fourth time as they made their way into the kitchen. Where the tea was.

“My element is not a bad influence,” Madeleine defended. Again. She was getting tired of repeating herself. The mental nudges of disbelief from Althea did not help that, either. She was conveniently ignoring the fact that her familiar had access to her head. In fact, she was ignoring the snake altogether. Trying to.

'You're being even less rational than usual.' She was telling Zaviar. And Lila. And maybe Martie.

Not a Fire trait, Althea. Clicking the kettle to boil, she shut the constrictor out of her head as much as she would ever be able to. Madeleine had always been like this. Each and every time she gained a level in her elementalism, she barely noticed – someone else had to by way of her behaviour. Or the fact she was suddenly doing something she couldn't do before. 'Like make your hand combust.' No, Madeleine couldn't hear her. 'Liar.' And had purposefully started humming a childhood song that she used to sing over the au pair to make her shut up. The words were lost to her. Jackson would remember. She had forgotten about the kettle, though. Running her fingers through the nearest flame she stared at it, frowning with a mixture of fascination and deep concentration. She was used to other people – well, Antonin and familiars – being able to get into her head to some degree, but this was quite... “Mm? – Oh,” turning, she pulled a face. “RiverFest. We could always try convincing them that forest fires are a good thing and their fire service isn't necessary. Or maybe start the Scarlet Oak Vanilla Trials.” Madeleine made herself pull her fingers from the fire and tucked them into the pockets of her jeans – and pulled out again when she located her lighter. “How was your day?”

'Just say it.'

Shut up.

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burningveins
2011-06-16 05:33 pm UTC (link)

'Why does your daughter have to have a snake for her familiar instead of some other perfectly reasonable creature?' Martie believed that a snake was the worst choice. Dogs weren't that great either. A cat would've been worse than a dog because they had that awful habit of sneaking and pouncing.

"I like Althea," Lila said when she noted her presence. Partially just to irritate Martie if she were being honest about it. Setting herself down at the table she waited for a cup of tea. Most people would've asked if tea was going to be served but this was Lila and she rather expected her children to know her well enough to know what she wanted. But since it had been awhile she decided that she would be generous enough to give her daughter a clue about what she wanted. "I find myself rather thirsty for a good cuppa if you'd be a dear. And how is my glowing daughter doing today?" RiverFest was a topic that she gladly sacrificed to the winds. It was ridiculous and had likely been completely an idea of some addled water elemental. Silly creatures with extremely limited uses.

Martie was content to scamper off Lila's arm to deposit himself nearer to Madeleine, chirruping rather deliberately to see what her response would be before he hopped up high enough to poke a small finger at her belly. 'Still smooth. How boring.'

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burnlyrical
2011-06-16 06:48 pm UTC (link)

Upon hearing her name, Althea's attention was tugged over to the other fire elemental and her monkey. So far the constrictor had been given no reason by a humanoid to think that she was not a likeable creature. Martie just happened to look edible, so she didn't really blame him for the fact he blatantly did not like her. Using the same logic she did not think she could be blamed for wanting to stalk him through a tree canopy. Especially since he was a familiar. Normal – and therefore rather stupid – animals were things she could just sneak up on and possible frighten to the point of a heart-attack. Did being a familiar make Martie any harder to sneak up on? 'Hello, Lila.'

Madeleine was certain she had already boiled the kettle – 'You weren't paying attention.' – but she flicked the switch again anyway, and set the sugar bowl and such in the middle of the table either way. She needed another tea cup and tea bag. 'Glowing'. She hated hearing other pregnant women called that, never mind herself. They weren't glowing. She had been glowing earlier, yes, but she had been quite literally on fire. Or turning into fire. She needed to attempt that again at some point. Nevertheless, a tight smile stretched itself across her face and she tried not to will something large and easily flammable ablaze. “Spent the first two hours curled up in the bathroom because my stomach thought it was funny making me nauseous then turning round with a huge sign saying 'psyche'. It's either morning sickness or an unfortunately timed stomach bug.” The kettle was hauled from its stand the very second it boiled. She couldn't quite provide the tea fast enough. Not through a desperate need to be on the dot with any hostessing, but because she had an abundance of energy and little to do with it. It was perplexing her familiar.

As she set the tea down on the table only to be poked in the stomach by Chuckie, her hand hovered a few inches above his head, rather obviously somewhere between swiping him away and throttling him. “And you're just a world of fun,” she bit, making herself smile again as she let flames swallow that hand. She was certain her mother would survive the loss of her familiar's extremities. Madeleine had no qualms with grabbing him by the tail like that.

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burningveins
2011-06-16 09:09 pm UTC (link)

Whether Madeleine liked what Lila called her or not really wasn't something that the elder Gray concerned herself with. It was the first time that she had the privilege of a grandchild and she'd be damned if she didn't get to appreciate the parts of it that she wanted to. Not to mention she took a certain, if slightly vindictive, pleasure in learning that Madeleine was going through morning sickness. Fire knew that she had suffered through it when she was pregnant with all of her children. If there was a way to ensure that both of her daughters got it as bad as she had then she'd have seen to it. And then found a spell that made it so that Jackson knew too. Certain things just shouldn't be missed out on. "Maybe you'll be one of the lucky ones who only goes through it for a month or so. Personally when I was pregnant with you there was a span of roughly the entire time where food was an issue. That issue being you agreed with none of it." Accepting the cup and tea, Lila stirred a little sugar in before tapping the droplets off her spoon so she could set it down and take a sip. "How has your day been since you managed to drag yourself off the floor? Something seems almost different about you."

'It's not her stomach,' Martie offered before sticking his tongue out at the look that he was given. He didn't like where Madeleine's hand was and chose to scamper up onto the table, picking up the sugar bowl before shifting off to start eating from it. Lila was either not paying attention, deliberately, or simply didn't care. 'It's all flat and boring. How can you even be sure there's something in there? Unless you have a cut you look inside...'

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burnlyrical
2011-06-17 12:17 am UTC (link)

“Good to know.” Even better to know that there would almost certainly be more tales of how Lila had suffered during her pregnancies and how, now that Madeleine was pregnant, she wasn't bloody well going to get away without suffering either. Even if it was only having to suffer listening to all of the aforementioned stories. And the presence of her sodding familiar. Should her mother ever request to be euthanised, Madeleine had already decided how it was to be done. Via Martie. Slowly. Little furry bastard from h– 'You've not been anywhere near this bad since Antonin annoyed you.' “Althea, shut up.” Sipping her tea (milk, no sugar, or she was certain she may yet be sick), Madeleine ignored the fact the snake had shared her thoughts with no one but her. She'd shout at her own familiar if she damn well pleased. “I lost several hours sulking on the couch while Althea harassed me, then I went to play in the fire.”

'I said she seemed different,' Althea comment, glossing over any silent threats made by her elemental. 'And she just made smart remarks until she realised what it was.' She paused. 'I thought it would be a bigger deal. Can we get fireworks?'

Madeleine left her hand aflame, narrowing her eyes after Martie rather than pay Althea any mind. “You are a morbid little son of a–” Her head snapped around as she registered what her familiar had said. Where others would have brimmed with excitement – and as she would have done were she not so susceptible to acts of anger and the like – Madeleine looked at her mother with the kind of perplexed frown that was probably more fitting to the original nature of the achievement. “I sort of just... fell into my mastery.”

'I think there should have been an explosion.'

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burningveins
2011-06-17 02:47 pm UTC (link)

"I could always continue," Lila offered as she sipped at her tea. "Yours was by far the most difficult and I feel like you could only benefit from knowing just how bad it could get. Then you're prepared." Her familiar may have been twisted all on his own, but he had definitely picked up a few little turns from his elemental. As for Madeleine's little outburst at her familiar, well, Lila said nothing to that. She knew how frustrating it was to have a voice inside of one's head saying things that were irritating. Martie very likely did it on purpose just to see how far he could press her. Although she was becoming irritated with the snake herself. Why did they need fireworks? What was a big deal? Lila gave a vexed sigh as she set her cup down perhaps a little hard, having never been the sort to even attempt bottling her feelings up. "Althea what are you carrying on about?"

'She's a snake. They don't know how to say things the right way. I'm surprised that all she talks about isn't the big rat she saw in the garden and wished she could eat. Except she can't because they can't eat everyday. Unnatural.' Martie felt safe enough to make remarks because he was once again on Lila's shoulder. There was no such thing as a telepathic muzzle, was there? 'No.' His attention went back to Madeleine and he gave his best monkey grin. 'I'm just asking.'

Lila was paying no one but her daughter any mind now, eyes wide as a smile slid across her face. Before she registered what she was doing she had risen to move over and give her a hug. Who care if she was irritated or any of that, she was her daughter and she had reached her mastery. Pregnant and a master all in the same month, Lila hardly knew what to do with herself. "Love, I'm so very proud of you! You simply must let me take you out to celebrate. Isn't everyday that one does something so wonderful."

'Don't be stupid, fire elementals don't explode.'

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burnlyrical
2011-06-18 03:18 pm UTC (link)

Madeleine gave her mother a slightly confused frown over her tea. “I thought first births were more difficult anyway.” Oh, no – of course it made perfect sense for her to have been the awkward birth. Personality-wise, she supposed it almost did, but that wasn't the point. The first to provide grand-children stood the best chances of getting Lila's worst stories. The next would get their mother's stories plus those of the sibling who had successfully reproduced before that... and so on. The horror stories would build. She prayed that Jackson be last so they could traumatise whoever he finally chose to settle with. Unless the little bundle of joy was an accident. That would just make it better. Knowing full well what Althea was talking about, Madeleine sipped at her tea again. She would infinitely prefer her mother argue with her familiar than with her. 'It all comes back to you anyway.' But the longer she could delay that, the better.

'Fireworks to celebrate,' Althea clarified, unfazed. Lila's annoyance didn't bother her because Madeleine's was directed at her all the time and she was a hard creature to actually insult unless you were her elemental and feeling vindictive. It was true that she didn't always speak the same way as Martie, but that wasn't something to get upset about. She also wasn't hungry, so she had no reason to talk a lot about a rat that, actually, she hadn't seen. The snake did not point out that clearly none of that was unnatural, because she was... right there. Existing. One day, that creature would wake up and Althea would have been sat over him all night.

As nearly anybody who had ever run into her had ever discovered, Madeleine had a very established sense of personal space. Most of this was because the world was made up of idiots she didn't want touching her. The rest of it was because she just did not do the touchy-feely thing with people she did not trust. Mood pending, the trusted few were generally allowed to wander around in her personal bubble as much as they liked. Otherwise there would have been a serious altercation with her mother by now. The moment she realised she was getting a hug, Madeleine flushed a little, setting her cup down and trying to leave her temper with it. She flushed even more at Lila telling her she was proud of her, immediately remembering the first time she lit a match without striking it. Brushing away her familiar's amusement at the things that could snuff out her temper, she tried to calm her expression. “It has been a while since we went out properly.” It would be nice, she couldn't lie. Well, she could, but it would serve no purpose. “Do you have anything in mind? – Don't forget you likely know the restaurants around here better than I do by now.” If only because she had probably made it her business to know.

'That's what the fireworks are for.' For a moment Althea considered telling Martie of Madeleine's plans to have him stuffed and buried with Lila when she died. But that would ruin the surprise.

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burningveins
2011-06-19 02:48 pm UTC (link)

To that confused look and the subsequent question, Lila gave a patient, correcting smile. "In most cases, yes they are, but you were a special exception now weren't you?" Even if she hadn't been then Lila would've still claimed it was true. Because Madeleine was the one who was there and the one who was pregnant. She was required by the rules of her own nature to say things such as that. The other side of her nature, the much smaller and rarer seen one, was responsible for the embrace she gave her middle child. Lila wasn't a hugger, really, though she was rather big on touching. But for special events like this she made an exception and when she released Madeleine she could just tell that she wasn't in as bad a temper anymore. See? All she needed on occasion was her mother. This was why she should've stayed in England.

'I don't think fireworks are legal.' Martie had seen a show where people had to go to different states to get them because they weren't allowed. He didn't know if that applied to this state in particular but he was going to think that it did. Because he could. And because he doubted the snake would call him on it. She was a snake, she couldn't even turn the TV on without help.

"There's this nice little place in Ann Arbor," Lila offered as she took her seat again, wishing to finish her tea before it grew cold and needed to be reheated. While it was no trouble to do it always took something from the taste. "Because god knows there's nothing in this little place you've settled yourself in. But the real question is do you have any cravings yet? I wouldn't want to suggest a place your stomach won't allow you to eat at. There goes all the fun." Lila wouldn't suggest where she really wanted to go. Partially because she was sure that Madeleine wouldn't want to and then because ... no it was just that. Lila would be perfectly fine taking her daughter to that one restaurant because all of the waiters seemed to be male and they wore tight pants.

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burnlyrical
2011-06-27 07:25 pm UTC (link)

She believed herself a special exception in most cases; a trait that she considered to be hereditary and had yet to find a shred of proof to the contrary. Madeleine had excelled academically, had never been for want of a social life in spite of being what the vanilla plebs quite accurately called "an elitist bitch" and she was born right - did she need any other reasons? Oh, and she was rich. 'And a master.' That hadn't been something her ego needed reminding of, but she acknowledged it all the same. Nevertheless, if the thing in her uterus was both born right - 'Zaviar said it would be, remember.' - and female, she was never doing this to it. There was a pause - a moment of silence in her head while her familiar waited for her to correct herself. Who was she trying to convince, exactly? She was barely into her first trimester and she was fairly certain the little fiend could tell she was lying. "As long as I don't have to suffer an absurdly long labour, I don't care." She could take everything else out on someone else at some point. Childbirth - well, there were really only two people to blame for that and she wasn't all that keen on taking her frustrations out on either of them. "How did you stop yourself from setting fire to any midwives?" Just out of interest.

'That's because this country is backward,' Althea informed him. She even managed to think it in the exact same tone of impatience Madeleine had used when she had said it - in a completely different conversation that had nothing to do with fireworks and everything to do with the traffic. Or something.

"As I recall, I didn't settle here as much as pull it out from under him," Madeleine pointed out from over the top of her mug. True, she had since settled, but there were reasons for that. One and then two good reasons for that. "No cravings that I've noticed and nothing makes me ill that didn't prior to getting myself pregnant." The suspicion that she was craving cheese was only a suspicion and she still mostly ate like a horse. "The menu remains as varied as always." Which meant Lila still had free rein. Madeleine wasn't sure how concerned to be. "Why, what constitutes as 'nice' these days and what is the dress code?"

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burningveins
2011-07-01 02:07 am UTC (link)

"The first labor is always the longest," Lila pointed out. Martie made a little chittering noise and Lila gave him an amused grin because he knew she was doing it on purpose. Which she was. "Something about the body getting used to it... the ones after are either longer or shorter. Although yours was my most difficult it was Jackson's that last the longest. Nearly an entire day. That little brat just didn't want to come out into the cold world." Not that Lila blamed him. She was definitely warmer than any delivery room could hope to be, though she'd been younger than Madeleine when she had him. As she began searching for her purse she pursed her lips as she thought about that last question. "What makes you so sure that I didn't set fire to each and every one of them? It is a wonderful stress reliever and your grandfather disapproved of the fact that I wanted to set you father on fire instead." It had been a valid option so far as she was concerned.

'I think you're backwards.'

"That just makes the place even better." Had Lila divorced her husband instead of burning him alive because the idiot had locked her in the attic then she'd have tried to take everything he owned. "In that case... nice and the dress code are two varied things that I'm never sure on until I arrive. I'm sure that a skirt and nice top would suit just fine, dear. So if you cleaned yourself up a bit then we could be off to find somewhere to eat. I'm very nearly craving steak." A small smile played across her lips as she took another drink from her cup. "I think that may have something to do with that delicious piece you keep bringing here. Temptation is a terrible thing, dear."

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burnlyrical
2011-07-02 12:06 am UTC (link)

Alright, say the little demon was successfully brought to term and born right - 'What did I just tellinformsay to you?' - that did not mean that Madeleine herself would survive this ordeal. 'What?' She was half considering drowning herself in the bath. Stories of how difficult childbirth could be were categorically not what she wanted to be-- "An entire day?" Her eyes had widened, mouth not quite managing to close properly. "Sod that for a game of soldiers. I want a C-Section." And she meant it. She would rather go through surgery than that. For the briefest of moments the image of flaming midwives raised her eyebrow in amusement before she remembered what the point of her question was. Drumming her nails against her mug, she removed the mention of her father from her thoughts. "As much as I don't care who knows what I am, I don't think roasting hospital staff is a good idea given the current political climate, Mama."

'I think you're the pygmy missing link.' The corner of Madeleine's mouth twitched in a smirk.

With a hum of contemplation and a glance around her kitchen, Madeleine had to agree. "I just need to finish it..." she said absently, half-aware that she never really would because the parts that she didn't want to do would never truly get done and she was restless enough that everything else just kept getting moved about. She needed new furniture anyway. Someone also needed to tell her mother than you could not define a word by using the word itself. "So I'm not to out-shine you, then," she quipped. It could be safely said there would be a reasonable number of men there, in that case. Steak. Steak sounds good, actually... "The delicious piece is mine." Madeleine smirked. She was nothing but smug about that. "And I'm already carrying the result of that temptation."

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burningveins
2011-07-04 04:26 pm UTC (link)

"But darling then you'd have all those scars on your stomach and you wouldn't want to ruin your lovely skin. Even if stretchmarks might do that for you." If Lila got all of this out of the way now then she'd be able to stop and be a supporting mother with pleasant stories instead of - oh who was she kidding? No she wouldn't. Her children had made her wait this long and damnit she was going to get her entertainment out of it. "Who said that you'd be exposed to multiple hospital staff? I half don't trust them and the ones they have for nurses. Private care, Madeleine. You haven't forgotten that you're able to afford that have you?"

'Do you even know what you just said or have you been watching too much TV? I'm putting it on the channel where they turn snakes into forms of clothing next time they leave the house.'

By pure virtue of the fact that she was younger Madeleine tended to outshine Lila. Not that she'd ever admit that unless the words were quite literally pried out of her mouth with a crow-bar. "I don't see why you'd need to try and look better than me. After all you have your Zaviar and seem rather attached since your hackles went all sorts up when all I did was get a better look." Singing someone's shirt off so that you could make sure they had good genes was perfectly acceptable so far as Lila was aware. She didn't want to live in a world where it wasn't. "Saying that only makes me wonder if you are rather like rabbits or if he's virile. Stop giving me material to think about if you don't want me to do nothing but stare the next time that he comes to visit. Which, incidentally, should be soon. It's only fair that I get to know the father of my grandchild better."

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burnlyrical
2011-07-08 02:36 pm UTC (link)

Fair point. "There are ways to minimise stretchmarks," Madeleine countered. "And treatments to get rid of them. That I can afford." There would forever be a bonus to being rich. The bigger bonus was the exchange rate. 'Can I start betting on whether she'll run out of stories?' By all means. Except she wouldn't. Madeleine could see her mother making them up rather than ever admitting that any of her children had been easy to handle in any way whatsoever. Again, she now wanted at least her brother to hurry up and reproduce so she could help disturb him and his... whatever she was. "Private care full of fire elementals or private care full of fire-proofed staff? I don't have your control." Or didn't. She hadn't managed to set fire to anything in the kitchen yet. Given the mood she was in to begin with and that Martie had been winding her up, that was an achievement.

'Doesn't movebotherunsettle me. Madeleine thinks things like that all the time.' And she'd mean it too if the act wouldn't kill both of them.

Madeleine's eyebrow rose slightly. She didn't view her mother as the kind of woman one tried to outshine because there wasn't much point. She wanted what she wanted and, as far as Madeleine could recollect, she got it. There wasn't any room for negotiation. Which meant you could walk out into a restaurant wearing nothing and there was still a distinct chance that Lila Gray commanded the attention of the most attractive men. Besides, it was easy for Madeleine to make men back down. It was called being herself. Without the usual fae mask. "I was joking. And yes, I am attached and that possessive pronoun is still correct." She was going to repeat it until she was told to stop because she was making someone's ears bleed. 'She and Zaviar had that conversation alre--' "Althea." 'But you did.' Ignoring her familiar was one thing, ignoring Lila was another. And Madeleine truly did not want to consider what her mother may or may not be thinking about. So she wasn't answering. "I'll ask him." Or she would conveniently forget. No, she would have to ask or the question would only arise again and again and again. And then Martie might lose his extremities.

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