'He wouldn't if he didn't need to,' Althea pointed out. At least, that was how she saw it. And she was only going off how Madeleine saw it. It escaped her that she was a predator with no grasp on ethics and her ward excelled at simply not caring while her element left her predisposed to acts of violence. Zaviar just did what needed to be done. These were not things she thought a great deal about because Madeleine didn't either. The moment it put her elemental in danger... Well, that was another matter.
The words 'yes, but I don't want to' perched on Madeleine's tongue, blown away with a small huff of resignation. Unsurprisingly, it was the mention of her mother taking over the task that kicked what was verging on a sulk into a reluctant form of determination. "I know." A statement that sounded more like a 'fine' that anything else, but she was not a fan of just sitting down and... sorting through things. She still hadn't properly sorted out her music sheets and they were arguably right on top of her list of priorities when it came to the rest of the rooms in the house. But the rest of the rooms had been sorted out. Mostly.
'... True.' Then Madeleine would still be in England, so she would have had a completely different familiar, and - 'I don't like that idea any more. They can keep their weirdness.' Even if it was confusing and caused them problems. Leaning on the bedpost, Madeleine offered a smile that she hoped looked more grateful than it did a request that she not be left on her own. She had said enough thank yous for one day already. 'And you'd still be thinking about it even if he was still in the room.' Yes, alright, that was enough. Dropping the linen on the bed, she knelt on the floor, crossing her ankles underneath her. She didn't actually know what was in most of these boxes because they weren't hers. Ooh, fire irons. If only in name because they were clearly brass. Never used, either. The same went for the grill at the bottom of the box. 'Maybe they left it as a present.' And the Pope was Jewish. 'And maybe you should stop burying your head in the sand.' "I think I have every right to that, actually, since you are not the one who was accepted into the family by being put in the fire." Althea was also not the one who might be pregnant and had no way of knowing what the child would be if she was. And yes, perhaps she was getting a little ahead of herself but they were perfectly valid concerns. Apparently, she was the only one who had them.
'Feel better?' "Oh, shut up." Sliding the brass grate into place, Madeleine began to stab at what was left of the wood that was no longer boarding up the fireplace. What was the point in carrying boxes from room to room when she could burn the unwanted contents? Besides, she was hardly dressed to cart around big boxes.