Linnea was far too aware of how long Leif had been separated from the family. Because it had happened when she had been sent to Australia and she had never been able to correct the error, though she had tried when she returned. Leif had wished to stay at the boarding school and Jokull had wanted him to as well. Two against one and she had lost, though at least she had won Kajsa and the others back. Leif was the only one who had not been ready to welcome her back with welcome arms - something that carried to this very day. "I know as much as I wish to know of magic." Which was little. Magic had been used to hurt her for the majority of her life, very rarely to ever help her, and Linnea did not care for it much at all. White magic was acceptable but it still made her wary because of the effect that she knew it would have on the majority of her children. And if I am carrying a demonic child then would it affect them as well if I were to be healed for some reason? Or blessed? That thought was rather unsettling and she set a hand unconsciously against her stomach as though to protect it. "Incorrect, Leif, I had a stronger hand in raising your sisters and also you when you were younger." Before Jokull had decided that the best way of all to hurt her was by making one of their children just like him.
Sometimes, when they were not present, Linnea wished that she could have a more firm hold over her emotions when her children were involved. What good was being able to wear a mask of ice with most of the world when one's child - who knew full well the best buttons to press or subjects to voice - could shatter it so neatly? If her children continued in their current pattern then all she needed now was for Valterri to pull out a few well-chosen words and they all would have succeeded at making her cry in the past month, or week even. The added hormones that came with being pregnant did not help at all because she was emotional enough to start with. But, while Linnea had started to suspect that she was going to need to excuse herself before she created a real scene, she found her tears suddenly drying when Leif confirmed his level and added on an insult. To use one's elementalism for something so trivial?? Linnea would turn water to ice, yes, but not for that purpose and never just for that. Water was a part of her and she held more respect for it than she did any person who existed. And Water's voice was the most beautiful, soothing sound in the world. To think that her own son could have heard it, but did not because he would not advance... that stung. "Even your father would disapprove of that. As I believe he also would of you being a lower level than your nineteen-year-old sister." Pride was something that she had learned all of her children seemed to possess in spades. Why not play on it? Her family did not just stop at level four and for all that she knew he would have seethed if she said it, Leif was a Selanne as well as a Niemi.