& still I remember how I dressed him this morning Who: Linnea, Leif and Jokull Where: Detroit, MI When: 1989 Note: Spoken words are in Finnish
Kajsa had been tucked into bed and drifted off to sleep less than halfway through her favorite story. She was still young enough to need a nap every afternoon or else she got all cranky. Easier to put her to bed and let her sleep. Occasionally, Linnea would curl up next to her for a nap of her own, but not today. Leif was not at school and the last thing she wanted to do was neglect him. He already had an unhealthy dislike for his little sister and she did not want to encourage those at all. In fact, she wished that she could see them gone, but Leif was stubborn. And she was not fully sure that his dislike had not been put there by his father. She would not put it past her husband to plant a seed of dislike in their son’s mind just to get under her skin. Jokull had always done things to bother her, hurt her, but at least he had not actively attempted to turn him against her. Yet. A sliver of paranoia that reared its head every time that Leif was near his father. She could see it in Jokull’s eyes and she wished that it would go away. But her emotions had ever had a firm hold over her, helped not at all by the fact that her hormones were attempting to get out of hand yet again. A third child. Jokull was not content with what they had. He wanted another son or at least a daughter that was his own. Smiling down at her sleeping daughter, Linnea tugged the covers up to her chin and kissed her forehead before going to find Leif.
“There you are,” Linnea said with a smile when she found him in the living room. “Now that your sister’s asleep, how would you like me to read you a story? Or you could read it to me, since you’re growing up so fast.” Behind her back she was even holding a small bag of strawberry licorice that she had had the maid buy when she was out, his favorite. Settling down onto the couch she slipped out of her heels and patted the area next to her. “Come sit with me, Leif.” Really, she liked having one of her children close to her, especially now. It was almost as comforting as being immersed in water.
Sat on the floor of the living room with his legs stretched out in front of him, Leif had rolled up one trouser-leg to prod at the graze he had from yesterday. If he poked at it the right way it would start bleeding all over again. That knee had bruised a bit and his poking made it hurt, but in that weird way that meant he couldn’t quite get himself to stop even though he knew at some point one of his parents would make him. Someone’s voice sounded from somewhere - Not voices. They’re in my head. - and he scooted closer to the television. One inexplicably muddy hand reached past the Roadrunner to the volume and turned it up higher. It didn’t make the voices - Thoughts. - go away, but it was easier to listen to loud things with his ears that it was to listen to jumbled up things with his mind. And it was just better that way. Then he didn’t have to hear her thoughts while their mother read her a story. Leif did not like Kajsa. Never had. Didn’t think he ever would. And there was something wrong with that because brothers were supposed to like their sisters. Families on the television liked each other. He couldn’t ever remember anything being wrong with their family until her. They weren’t wrong, she was. It would be better if she went away and didn’t come back. Then we could just-- Turning to blink at his mother, Leif returned her smile, though it was a little belated. He didn’t like it when she did that. Leif heard almost everyone coming usually, but not her. She had a quieter head and she sneaked up on him. His father... well, his mind was quieter too. But he just knew when he was around. Because he likes me more than she does. Those thoughts were pushed to the back of his head as he stood and pushed his trouser-leg back down. “Will you read it?” he asked, pulling himself onto the couch. He could read it himself. In Finnish and then back again in English - even if his Finnish was better because the book was written in it. But Kajsa’d had a story read to her and he did not see why he shouldn’t have the same. He was there before Kajsa. “Please.” Questions like that worked better when you remembered your manners.
Linnea wished that Leif would not poke at himself like that, the sight of blood made her think of Jokull, but he pulled the pant leg back down as he came to join her so she could hardly protest. Plus he was doing as she wished and that was good enough for her. “Of course I’ll read it to you, sweetheart,” Linnea replied with a smile, smoothing back a piece of his hair before leaning down to kiss his forehead. “But first...” She brought out the bag and offered it to him. There was nothing wrong with giving him sweets now and again. Especially his favorite. Opening the book she shifted so that he could see the pictures. Seven was not too old to enjoy pictures in the story books. If she remembered correctly then she had enjoyed them until she was ten, although by then she had known them all by heart. Leif had a larger collection of storybooks than she had, though, and already there were plenty waiting for when he was ready to move onto chapter books. Then his books could pass onto Kajsa and whoever it was that came along next. Linnea had a list of names already. “Which one would you like? Snow White, The Wonderful Birch, The Three Chests.” She liked the Wonderful Birch herself.
She was going to read to him like she read to Kajsa. Leif knew she would. She had offered first, so she couldn’t just say no because that wouldn’t be fair. Mothers were supposed to know what was and wasn’t fair and they were supposed to act fairly. Even if sometimes she didn’t. Sometimes she only seemed to think about his sister. He couldn’t prove that part because his mother had a quiet head, but he was sure it was true. It wasn’t her fault though. It was Kajsa’s. Or maybe it was her fault. His father seemed to think so - Not supposed to listen to that. And he tried not to. Tried to forget what he’d heard. But Jokull had yet to be wrong about anything. Either way, Leif just smiled. He even tried not to squirm when she kissed him. Some of the boys at school said you could catch things from girls. His mother was a girl, so - Strawberry licorice! Grinning, he bounced a little in his seat before quietly taking a piece. One piece, because if he just took a fistful like he wanted, they’d be taken away sooner. “Thank you!” The thanks was a little late and the licorice was already in his mouth, but people always said it was better late than never. “Um...” He stared at the book for a moment, then tilted his chin up at her. “The Wonderful Birch, please.” It was true that he had heard her preference, but that wasn’t his fault. He didn’t actually care which one she read - he just wanted to keep her attention away from Kajsa and get proof like she liked him better after all - but he knew he got better reactions from her when he did or chose things she liked. “My knee still hurts.” His face crumpled in a frown to emphasise this fact. Kajsa didn’t have a sore knee. She was just too stupid and too small to do things for herself.
Some children got all excited when they were offered candy, but Leif was not like that. Even though he bounced a little in his seat he was still relatively calm and only took one piece. Really, other than everything with Kajsa and the way he seemed to idolize Jokull, he was such a good boy. So far as she was aware. Right to that part where he did not even pull away when she kissed him. He was at that age where boys could get so touchy, she remembered Dane and Bjorn claiming that she had cooties or something before running away, complete with taunting. She had hated that. “Very good choice! That’s always been my favorite.” Giving him another smile she flipped through the book to reach that story, pausing when Leif declared that his knee hurt. Oh, poor thing. Sympathy slipped across her face and she set the book in her lap before reaching over to roll his trouser leg back up so that she could see. “I’m sorry, sweetheart, do you want me to fix it?” Bandaids, peroxide and water were always a good answer. Leif was every bit as much an elemental as her so having it around was something that she firmly believed benefited him as much as it did her. “I could always read to you after if you’d like.” Of course Linnea had every intention of reading the story to him like he wanted, she just did not want to have him hurting.
I know. Well, he knew she liked it now. Couldn’t prove she’d always liked it, except she just said so. He bet Kajsa didn’t know what her favourite story was. Rubbing the itch on his nose with the back of his hand, Leif watched the pages turn, feeling oddly pleased with himself when that look appeared on her face. She always looked like that when his sister started that annoying crying. Or when she had tummy ache from eating too much. Which would be easily fixed by just not feeding her as much. Or at all. When Linnea went to look at his knee properly, he stretched his leg out again. It helped her get a better look. The offer to fix it left him staring at the injury itself. Leif didn’t like asking for help. Not even when it was offered. Or when maybe it was a good idea because cuts and things got ‘infected’. Didn’t know what that meant, but it didn’t sound good. With a slight pout that he didn’t even realise was there - he didn’t want anyone’s help - Leif nodded. It already felt better now that the graze wasn’t rubbing on the inside of his trouser leg, but if it meant he had more of Linnea’s attention then he’d decided it didn’t matter. Wasn’t like Kajsa could fight for it while she was asleep. He ignored the nagging doubt that told him the only reason his mother was there was because his sister was asleep. Wasn’t true. Wasn’t. “And my hand’s dirty...” He opened his hand up, nose wrinkling at the dirty palm and fingers. “I don’t know how.” He hadn’t been playing anywhere dirty. It just got like that.
It was probably a blessing that Linnea was a water elemental and nothing more. Let Jokull be the telepathic parent, she was content not knowing exactly what went on in their minds. Might actually be a bit disturbed by it for that matter and she really did not need further reasons to be disturbed with the life that she had, now did she? Now Leif was pouting and Linnea felt her heart melting even more at the sight of that. Pouting little boys were adorable even if they never wanted to admit to that. Or hear it. Little girls liked being adorable and cute, little boys rarely did unless they were more sensitive. “Alright, then let’s take you to the bathroom and get you cleaned up.” One disadvantage to her willowy frame was that she was not able to pick her children up for as long as she wanted to, something that she realized every time that she just wanted to sweep Leif up. He was not quite too big, but he was getting there. Instead she took his hand to lead her to her bathroom where a very well-stocked First Aid kit was always kept. “As for why your hand’s dirty, that’s because your a little boy and little boys attract dirt without even needing to try.” She smiled to take any potential negative connotations out of the statement before leaning down to sweep him up onto the counter. Now she could see his knee properly. “Well this isn’t too bad at all, I can take care of this in a moment.” Pulling the kit out from under the sink she popped it open. “The peroxide will burn a little, but only for a moment.” She even held a large cotton ball under the scrape to make sure that none of it leaked down past his knee. “Ready?” Her father had always thought it was better to just do it but she knew the warning made it far easier. That and she did not like causing either of her children pain even when it was meant to help them.
She hadn’t tried to carry him. Good. Leif could walk for himself, even if his knee was sore. He’d seen kids on the playground try to claim they couldn’t walk after doing almost the exact same thing to their knee. They were lying. And they were really bad at it. He didn’t know why they tried. All the grown-ups knew they were just fine. As fine as Leif himself was, and so far he hadn’t lied once. His knee did hurt and his hand was dirty. But he really wasn’t sure why being a little boy was the reason for the last part. Would’ve made sense if he’d been playing around in the garden and actually rolled in the mud like the other boys his age preferred to. Except he hadn’t. And he wasn’t all that little. “I’m growing up fast,” he pointed out. “You said so.” And if she’d already said so she wasn’t allowed to just take it back and call him little. Kajsa was little. “And Dad’s a boy and he doesn’t get all dirty.” His mouth opened to add more, then closed as the obvious struck him. “But he isn’t little.” No, and Leif wasn’t really either because his mother had said so. Somehow feeling like he’d won the argument that they hadn’t really been having, his chest puffed out while he kept still for knee-examination. He knew it wasn’t too bad. The only reason it really hurt at all was because he’d poked at it because he wanted it to bleed again. “Yes.” He nodded his readiness, lips pressed together and hands balled into fists. He hated peroxide. Not because it stung, but because it made him flinch. He was determined not to this time. And he was never going to start crying like some of the children at school did. That was just stupid. Kajsa would cry.
“Yes, you are growing very fast, but you’re still a boy and they just have a way of getting dirty. Your father-” She did not wince at saying that, but her stomach tightened ever so slightly, the small of her back aching. That was not the best place to take blood from but every now and again she suspected that Jokull was not only fully aware of that but did it very much on purpose. “Is very much grown up. And extremely clean.” Obsessively almost. Only time being dirty did not seem to bother him was when it involved her blood. Thoughts that were shooed right out of her mind when Leif declared that he was ready for the peroxide. Nodding, she poured enough out and waited a moment before dabbing it away. “One more time, just to be sure.” And once that was done she set the bottle aside, tossed the cloth away and leaned down to blow lightly over the scrape. Just because that was what she felt the need to do, that was what her mother had always done. She claimed that it helped. And if her mother said that something was true then Linnea could do nothing but believe her. Because Kajsa Selanne never lied. Then, because even though it was not bleeding it was still a somewhat open cut, she pulled out a band-aid. That way Leif could pull his trouser back down without it rubbing it raw. “Is that better at all, sweetheart?”
“I’ll try to be cleaner.” Grown-ups didn’t get messy the same way children did. They weren’t clean all the time, but still. Leif didn’t want to be like every other little boy he knew. Most of them were not worth the bother, and he knew that if he brought them home at any point, his mother would just be very nice to them. Either they wouldn’t meet his father at all or he would be left with the distinct impression that Jokull had not cared to to meet them. If the latter was true then they were nothing special and probably just boring and then Leif wouldn’t want to know them anyway. He liked being Leif Niemi. Leif Tide Niemi, according to his mother. He didn’t think there was another person in the whole world with that name. Not who was telepathic. And a water elemental. And-- Ow. “And then soon I’ll just stay clean,” he added, emphasising the fact he hadn’t flinched at all. Like father. Which he wasn’t saying out loud, because she wouldn’t smile as much, though Leif hadn’t the slightest idea why. He wanted his mother to smile, though, because she smiled at his sister all the time. He kept coming back to Kajsa, over and over in his head. Whenever his thoughts had something to do with Linnea. It annoyed him. Couldn’t she stay out of anything? In answer to his mother’s question, though, Leif nodded and tacked a ‘thank you’ on while he fixed that trouser leg. He looked silly with one rolled up. “Can we read the--” Which story was it? “--Wonderful Birch now?” If she said no he was going to sulk.
Linnea did not mind when Leif got dirty, she actually expected it, but if he wanted to be cleaner because he preferred himself that way then she was not going to object. What sort of mother would object to a son who wanted to stay clean? None that she had ever come into contact with. Her own mother would have been delighted if Dane and Bjorn had decided to keep themselves clean instead of playing in the mud all of the time. Those were fond memories. “Yes, soon you’ll stay clean because you’ll be all grown up.” Linnea did not want Leif rushing to that day. She happened to like him as a child. Who knew what would happen when he grew up, if he would change, be more like his father. “And yes, of course we can. Let’s get back to the living room and I’ll read it to you. You can have another piece of licorice too, since you didn’t even flinch at the peroxide.” Linnea herself had stopped flinching several years ago as well, but that was neither here nor there. Perhaps it ran in the family to be able to overcome the sting of having a wound cleaned out after a few years of getting them. She really did not like that thought. After she put the first-aid kit away she waited for Leif to join her so that they could go back to the living room where she had left the book.
Leif was sure that was mostly what he had just said. There wasn’t any point in saying it again. Not even when she was saying it all in one go and he’d said it... less clearly. It was still what he’d said. He didn’t want to point out that they’d have to go back in the living room anyway unless she wanted to read it somewhere else. Like in Kajsa’s room. He hopped down off the counter, deliberately messing up his hair in the pretense he was tidying it. Nothing Linnea could do would make him go to his sister’s room for a story. He didn’t want to share his parents with that. He also wasn’t going to say that he knew she would probably give him more licorice anyway - because he had been good and only taken one piece rather than stuffing his face full of it. It didn’t make sense when other kids did that. Their parents took the sweets away faster. It was stupid. Shuffling over to Linnea, he tried not to drag his feet the way he did when he’d just fallen over and smiled up at her. “Thanks, mum.” He wasn’t sure which part he was saying thank you for. All of it, maybe. Whichever was the right answer.
Business had been a headache lately. But Jokull supposed that that was what happened when the newest member of the corporation went rising through the ranks in a way that wasn’t pleasant at all, but rather brutal. Jokull believed in a cut-throat approach to business. If you left enough bodies behind you then they discouraged others from trying to follow along in your footsteps. Unless they wanted to get all bloody. Jokull didn’t have a problem with that. Some of the people in his company had proved to have interesting blood that sold well, and made for interesting spells. His personal favorite source was still the little blonde thing at home. Little for now, he amended as he opened the front door to the house, hanging his keys up next to the door. Linnea had announced that she was pregnant again which meant her belly would swell, she’d be even more emotional and he’d have to find another water elemental for his one contact who was so fond of it because taking too much blood damaged the fetus, etc. If she turned out another like Kajsa he wouldn’t really care. Following the thoughts drifting from either the hallway or the living room Jokull was a little surprised to catch Leif thanking Linnea. Smiling, too. That connection right there really needed to be taken care of. Mothers made their sons weak. “And what are you thanking your mother for, Leif?” His eyes flicked up at Linnea for a moment, acknowledging her presence. “Where’s Kajsa?” He already knew, but he also knew that mention of the girl tended to upset Leif.
Linnea returned Leif’s smile easily, not bothering to re-tidy his hair because he would likely go and do what he just had again. Only a beat passed between his thanking her and the appearance of Jokull. “Kajsa’s down for her nap,” Linnea replied, her voice a slight more chilled than it had been only a moment before. Jokull did not get the same warmth that her children did. He got formality and the pretend-respect that he wanted. Nothing more and nothing less unless she was in a mood and then she would just pay for it later. “Leif and I were about to read a story. Did you have a desire to join us?” Now that was highly unlikely. Jokull had his business and the children were not it yet, they were not old enough to be interesting. Unless he was trying to spite her. No, Linnea was incapable of believing that Jokull could show actual fatherly affection unless he was trying to get to her. And he was fully aware that she thought that because she had not quite grasped the concept of keeping her thoughts quiet.
Leif had felt Jokull’s presence approaching. He’d also learned not to pay too much attention to it - often he just walked past, and if he had focused on his father too much then that confused him. Head still tilted up - everyone was taller than him - he unashamedly went through the list of things he was supposed to be grateful for before choosing one that sounded right. “Mum made my knee feel better,” he stated matter-of-factly, shaking that leg a little to prove it wasn’t sore any more. Well, it was, but not as much. After a moment’s thought, he quickly fixed his hair, angling the beginnings of a frown at the floor. Kajsa was asleep in bed, why did they even have to talk about her? A thought that left him blinking at his father a touch apprehensively because it had been him who brought her up. Maybe he shouldn’t have thought it. Maybe he-- Huh. His mother’s question confused him. The question itself was simple. He just had the slightest feeling that she didn’t really mean it... or something like that. And it didn’t make sense to ask a telepath questions like that. Made even less sense when Leif was telepathic too - even if his was making his head feel fuzzy. “We’re reading the Wonderful Birch,” he added, pressing one of his palms to his temple. He wondered if they would let him turn the television back on. Then he would have something else to listen to other than fuzzy whispering he didn’t really understand.
There was that little edge of ice that Jokull’d come to expect from his wife whenever he was around. At least she didn’t flat out snip at him or any of that. That just wouldn’t do in front of the children. But as if he’d have any interest at all in joining them for a story. Unless it was done solely to annoy Linnea, but there were so many better things he could do that didn’t involve spending time engaged in activities that annoyed him. “The Wonderful Birch is your mother’s favorite, I believe,” Jokull addressed to Leif, wondering if his son already knew that. If he’d gone and plucked it out of her mind. He wouldn’t put it past him. Leif may have just been a child but he was already showing signs of being fully capable of a high level of manipulating others. Jokull was proud to see that in him. “What was wrong with your leg, Leif?” A question directed at the boy while Jokull took a thought and placed it directly into Linnea’s mind. ’I was thinking it was time he start learning blood magic. What do you think?’
Linnea wanted to do nothing more right at that moment than scoop Leif up and take him to Kajsa’s room for his story. Because at least there he would be away from Jokull because right then, at that moment, she was all too aware of what Jokull wanted to do. Because he had literally put the thought into her mind. A thought that was more than simply unappreciated. It was not wanted. Linnea did not want to think of her little boy learning the same magic that Jokull worked. Perhaps it was true that not everyone who used it would turn out like her husband, but she saw gleamings of him in her son from time to time. And if he learned that magic... he might become even more like him. It mattered not at all that physically he looked more like Linnea, mentally it was very possible that he was more like Jokull than Linnea despite being a water elemental. I think no, Linnea thought firmly, moving towards the couch to pick up the book and flip it to the correct pages. “Well Leif, come sit with me and I’ll read you the story.” That was what she wanted to do. All that she wanted to do. Was it so very much to ask for to be allowed to just have a pleasant moment with her son?
There was a moment’s hesitation in Leif’s mind before answering his father while he tried to work out whether answering that comment would get him into trouble. Then he remembered that he wasn’t sorry, nobody had gotten hurt anyway (except maybe him, but that didn’t count) and that nobody really cared how he knew it was her favourite. Toeing the floor a little, he just nodded. Had his mother wondered how he knew? Or maybe she was treating him more like any other child just because he couldn’t hear all of her thoughts. That idea bothered him more than it should have done. Trying to ignore the blur of whatever Linnea was currently thinking, he rolled that trouser leg up for a moment: “Fell over yesterday...” Still holding his trouser leg up, Leif let that thought trail off. The part about how he hadn’t flinched at the peroxide had stored itself away for later, though. He was proud of that. At the same time, the white noise he was getting from Linnea for one reason or another (her head was louder when she got upset and water elementals were easier to upset than others) had lead him to recite verbs in his head in English so he could concentrate. “What about dad?” He looked between them both - not quite hopefully, but rather honestly trying to gauge the likelihood of it happening. He remained unsure, so he stayed where he was, looking a touch perplexed.
Jokull wasn’t surprised by Linnea’s response. He actually expected it and when he got it he let out a quiet chuckle, shaking his head before raising his hand to wave a finger at her. If she thought that her telling him no would actually affect anything then she needed to check her facts again and remember which man it was that she had married. You forget how little your opinion matters when it comes to this sort of thing, Jokull directed towards his wife as he watched her move towards the couch. Had he been at all fond of women then he’d have admitted that she had a definite grace. Picking up the thoughts from Leif’s head he wondered why there were English verbs going through his son’s head. “No Leif, I don’t read children’s stories, you know that.” He didn’t even pretend to for that matter. “Although if you would like then I could always read you a far more interesting book than something full of silly fairy tales.”
Why did he have to do this? Linnea had to ask herself, time and time again, what she had done to deserve this marriage other than being born. All she had really done in her life was be born and that had been enough to get her this. The little joys that she found in her children were taken away from her whenever he was there and he did it completely on purpose. Especially with Leif. Kajsa he did not seem so interested in - and they both knew the reason for that - and Linnea was grateful for that but it was still hard to deal with him taking such an interest in Leif. And with those thoughts about teaching him blood magic. Linnea’s mouth was a tight line at Jokull’s offer. Must you do this right now? Was there really anything that wrong with wanting to read her son a story when he had asked for one? No, not a single thing. She was not attempting to corrupt him or tell him that there was anything wrong with his father, but here was Jokull trying to take him away and put thoughts in his too-young mind about blood magic. Reaching out she brushed back a piece of Leif’s hair, keeping her face smooth despite whatever was showing in her eyes. “It’s your choice, Leif, you can do whichever you wish.” She knew better than to think that she could control him.
Well, no, he hadn’t really thought his father would read the story with them but wasn’t it rude to not let other people join in? Usually Leif wouldn’t care who joined in and who didn’t, but Jokull was one of the very few people he actually wanted around him at any given time. At the moment, that time included reading stories. No, not stories - fairy tales. His sense of pride shifted uncomfortably at that choice of wording. Stories were one thing, but fairy tales were for girls. That his father had also called them silly only made it worse. On top of that, whatever was upsetting his mother’s mind was getting worse. Layers and layers of thoughts that he couldn’t quite hear properly and didn’t understand were confusing his general trail of thought. “What kind of interesting?” He didn’t mean for the question to come out in English, and he blinked at his mother to see if he was about to be reproached for it. When she fixed his hair, Leif almost unconsciously took a step back towards his father. True, at their current proximity the distance between them made no difference to how loud her mind sounded, but it was an automatic reaction and not one he had even thought about. Mostly he was trying to concentrate on what she was saying to him, which was far more difficult than it should have been. Each and every thought of hers in his head, no matter how incoherent, sounded in her voice. Much to his frustration, so did her actual speech. “Um, would you mind saying that again?”
Yes he must do this right now. And even if he must not then Jokull was going to do it anyway solely because it irritated Linnea and he truly enjoyed that. It was the best part of his day. Other men enjoyed going home to their pretty young wives in their beds, but he got far more enjoyment out of Linnea when she was like this. Better yet when Leif went along with it without even knowing that he was. Or maybe he did. That could make it better. He’d caught Leif’s attention and that was what really mattered here. Smirking at Linnea, Jokull crouched down so that his face was on level with Leif’s. Easily pricking his finger with the tip of a knife he kept in his pocket, Jokull rolled the drop of blood between his fingers. A quick incantation and the little drop began to form shapes before vanishing in a puff of red smoke. “Magic, Leif, I can teach you magic that your mother can only read about in her fairy tale books.” Which wasn’t exactly true. Linnea was a water elemental and she could do things with water that Jokull couldn’t dream of, but he refused to acknowledge that as anything worth while.
“I said that you can do whatever you wish.” Linnea’s voice had lost a little something in those brief moments. After she had seen the blood well up on Jokull’s finger, after he had done his little trick. No matter what she said she knew that now, after that, Leif would not want his story. What sort of a boy would choose to listen to a fairy tale from their when they could instead learn about actual magic from their father? “But whatever you can do with blood,” she reminded Jokull as she rested her hands on the cover of the book, “I can with water.” He could take people’s lives, she had all but witnessed him do it, but so could she if she so chose. People drowned. People could be scalded, frozen, plagued... only the difference was that Linnea would not do such things. She would never abuse her element in that way. And on top of that she was already fully aware that she was going to pay for having voiced that thought out-loud later. You can’t expect me to just let him go like that. I’m not like your mother may have been. Linnea, of course, knew not a thing of Jokull’s parents past that his father was similar to him and his mother was dead.
He didn’t mean to actively try and ignore his mother’s thoughts, but if she could hear what they sounded like Leif thought she would too. Anyway, adults only really seemed to come down to be on the same level like that when they wanted to show him something, tell him something important, show him something important, or shout at him in a quiet sort of way. He’d done nothing to deserve the last one, so Leif just guessed that the-- ooh. The knife caught his attention first, then the blood, and he stared with open fascination. It did stuff. There were words and it had done things it wasn’t supposed to. Not normally. Like mag-- “Real magic?” Leif had absolutely no reason to doubt his father’s word and probably wouldn’t have done even if a more likely explanation was given, but he was still tilting his head in unabashed fascination. “... I have lots of blood.” Maybe he could poke at his knee again. That bled a lot. He had opened his mouth to tell his father so when he realised what his mother had said. Glancing at her, he blinked. Blood is thicker than water. One of his teachers had said that. Or maybe Jokull had. It was true anyway, so didn’t that sort of make blood better? And his father’s head was quieter - almost silent, even - where Linnea’s was loud and fuzzy at the moment. She would just go and play with Kajsa anyway the moment she woke up. “May I learn the magic, please?” Manners were important.
“Water?” Jokull snorted at the suggestion that some element could be as good as his magic. The basic truth was that it wasn’t and wouldn’t ever be. Linnea could freeze someone in their tracks. He could take blood and make anyone wish they were dead in ways that water could never imagine. Let her have her element. He didn’t want. His son shouldn’t want it either. All that water elementals were were over-emotional and attached to something far more than anyone should be. If he had his way then water wouldn’t ever touch him. “Real magic, not this water nonsense that is so important to your mother.” And he wanted to go with him. Leif was looking at him like he was interested and ignoring his mother. Apparently the boy didn’t like the way that his mother’s mind worked. “Yes, Leif, you may learn the magic. Come with me and I’ll begin teaching you.” The look he directed over his son’s head said very clearly that he had won this battle and this battle could very well mean the war for his son. Let Linnea have Kajsa, he didn’t want her. He had Leif.
There was nothing else to say. That look that Jokull gave her said it all even if Leif’s words had not. He wanted to go with Jokull and learn blood magic. He did not want to stay with her and read. Which in most families would have been fine. But Linnea knew her husband. Something small like this could end up meaning the world and blood magic was not a child’s game. It was not for children. “Have fun, Leif,” was all that Linnea offered. He had made his choice. All she could do was accept it or fight against it and that latter option would no good at this moment in time.