"True," Madeleine conceded. To both points. Both of which were automatically dismissed. She didn't care that she was vindictive and Anthony was a non-issue. Her head had tilted towards Zaviar at that tone, however. What did it matter? The bastard's days were numbered regardless of her choice of vocabulary. 'Perhaps you should just stop mentioning him.' Glancing up to wear Althea was claiming the canopy of the bed as her own again, the elemental acknowledged that in silence. It was nothing her mother needed to hear. "A habit of picking what up?" If the answer was 'men', she was not certain how to inform Lila that that was not entirely accurate. Or whether she even wanted to. She was far from shy, she just wasn't the kind of woman to share details, exactly. Least of all her-- "Mother." That was rude, as well she knew. Had it been aimed at anybody else, Madeleine would not have cared in the slightest. But it was aimed at Zaviar, so her own reaction was automatic. And while she did not think Zaviar would kill her mother there and then, it could hardly ever be considered wise to antagonise the person handling your familiar.
I'm not being any 'way', this is how I was born. There was also the fact that Zaviar did like showing off. She would just infinitely rather it was not where Lila could see. 'Madeleine...' She actually couldn't look. Because if she looked then it would confirm what her mother was doing and she was already pinching the bridge of her nose hard enough. "There is really no need," she snapped, glaring into thin air while she extinguished not just the fire her mother had started, but also the hearth. Not that she knew how much damage had been caused, because she had been too busy fending off what was likely going to be an aneurysm, but it was better than just leaving it. Promptly removing herself from her mother's reach, Madeleine left what was left of her tea on the dresser and moved to make sure Zaviar hadn't been burned. If he had, Lila wasn't coming anywhere near it. The hearth was woken up again as an afterthought. It gave her temper something to concentrate on.
'Madeleine says she would fully understand if you crushed Chuckie instead,' Althea threw Zaviar's way, perhaps a little too cheerfully. 'And she's apologising again.'