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Post by Your Mom~ on Oct 16, 2013 18:15:07 GMT -8
Olesya was feeling edgy. It was like cabin fever, but in the existential sense. Sure, the pressure of being in charge was weighing her down, and she had a few weak moments, but she would and could keep on as long as she needed to. However, she felt on the edge of something happening. David swooped back in and relieved her of her duties, settling back in as the head of the Dragons. Olesya was back to her duties as Voice, but she could feel the air buzzing from the activity of late, it made her restless.
She showed up on Mathew's doorstep with Maddie in hand, intending to make good on the play date offer. She had an ulterior motive, though.
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Post by Mathew Amtrum on Oct 16, 2013 18:48:18 GMT -8
She didn't even have to knock before she heard Mathew's voice from within. When she opened the door she would find Mathew bouncing two giggling baby girls on his knees. Making horse noises as they squealed and giggled. He didn't pay any mind to her actually entering at first instead opting to slow down his knees and made the sound of a horse snorting as the knees stopped.
"Sup?"
And then he say Maddie.
"Well, if it isn't the little Princess."
Actually not sarcastic and filled with venom!
"How are you doing your Majesty?"
He asked with a small bow of his head.
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Post by Your Mom~ on Oct 16, 2013 19:07:34 GMT -8
Maddie's eyes widened like saucers when she hear baby giggling. She took off running toward the sound and nearly pounced on Mathew and his girls, giving them and his knees a hug.
"Hihihi!"
"Maddie slow down, breathe, child..."
Olesya sighed, though a small laugh escaping her. Maddie hadn't been this excited in a while, and it was nice to see. She loved making her daughter happy. Les hadn't seen Mathew's kids before today either, but she can tell even at, what, seven months, they already resembled Mathew and Bastille in many ways. Hopefully they'd grow up to look more like their mother...hah.
"Hi-lo, my name is Maddie!"
She said in a baby-talk voice, gently attempting to take a hand of each of the babies and move them up and down in a sort of handshake.
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Post by Mathew Amtrum on Oct 16, 2013 19:59:11 GMT -8
Mathew kept a loose grip on his girls as Maddie made her greeting. And he smiled, an actual legitimate smile. He loved kids so much. They were just... so pure still. Untouched by the filth of the world. Maddie was hope for the world he would see built.
"This is Evelyn and Aryanna."
He said slowly so she could get the names right. Bouncing each baby slightly as he said their name so she knew which one was which.
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Post by Your Mom~ on Oct 16, 2013 20:10:50 GMT -8
"Eh-vuh-lin...Ar-eee...uh, Ari! And Evie!"
Maddie beamed, stumbling on the second baby's name, so she shortened them both to something she could easily say. Being raised in the system and on her own for a bit, Maddie had a slight speech impediment that could have easily been corrected if she'd seen a speech therapist when she was younger. It was slowly improving, but she would stumble over some words and names if they had too many syllables or uncommon syllables combination. Like the 'ee-ah' vowel pairing.
"Ari and Evie and Maddie! Uncle Matt, your babies are so cute I love them!"
She squealed, completely enthralled in their cute little goodness. It was like being given live baby dolls to play with! Except you couldn't draw on their faces or throw them in the air. But those sacrifices were worth it for cute, cooing, bitty babies!
Olesya watched her daughter interact with the babies, a small smile in place. Maddie loved being around other children. She grew up in a home full of little girls, so she was used to being around children, and preferred their company.
"Hey Maddie, do you want to play with 'Evie' and 'Ari' here on the floor while Uncle Matt and I chat up here on the couch?"
"Oooh, can we play?! Please!"
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Post by Mathew Amtrum on Oct 16, 2013 20:23:41 GMT -8
He suppressed a small snort when Maddie stumbled over their names. He needed to be nice, and it was cute. But some habits died hard. Instead he just smiled and nodded at her inquiry.
"You most certainly can."
He carefully picked up his girls and put them on the ground near his feet. Watching as they moved around. Little machines they were!
"Just be careful with them. They are squishy."
He patted the seat next to him on the couch for Les to join him.
"Didn't expect me to take me up on my offer so soon."
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Post by Your Mom~ on Oct 16, 2013 20:32:31 GMT -8
Maddie squealed with excitement, getting on all fours like the curious tots and crawling around with them, miming their movements as she babbled at them about one thing or another. Evelyn and Arianna seemed to be taking well to their new friend.
Olesya sat down next to him, rolling her eyes as he spoke.
"We're not moving in. Do you see any bags?"
She asked sarcastically, looking around and back to the door as if to prove her point.
"I'm here to talk about what you said the other day. About my taking leadership, taking a stand. David came back, rather unexpectedly. He stripped me of my interim Elder duties and resumed his post. I want you to tell me what makes an Elder."
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Post by Mathew Amtrum on Oct 16, 2013 20:36:45 GMT -8
The girls indeed didn't seem to mind Maddie in the slightest and looked at her with curiosity in their big eyes. They didn't get a chance to often deal with other children. Mathew could be quite protective at times.
"I see."
He said, not disappointed, but almost like he was waiting. He still imagined it would be a matter of time. Depending on how things played out in the next few days at least. He nodded slowly as she told him her reasons for being here. David coming back made sense, with Leon's stunt he probably felt the need to take the reigns and make sure the people saw a proper Dragon at the helm. Whether the new one would sink or swim was up in the air. Mathew for one was curious to see how he would measure up to tests.
"Elder or named Dragon? They are not the same."
He wanted to make sure of what she was asking.
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Post by Your Mom~ on Oct 16, 2013 20:43:14 GMT -8
"I know, and I've been thinking about that. When I challenged David...I know now that what I was challenging him for wasn't his title. Even if I were to somehow 'take' it, the identity belongs with the person. What I want is credit where credit is due. I want to make sure that no one tries to put be down again, make me less than what I am."
No more 'ma'am yes, maaaa'am.' No more doubting her abilities, her strength, her power. For too long she's picked up the slack for everyone and continually get overlooked. Not. Anymore.
"I want the people to know without a doubt the true value of my strength and leadership. I'm tired of doing all the work and the people accrediting it to someone else. I don't want glory or popularity or a shiny elemental title...I want recognition. That is what I want."
He would hear the determination in her voice. The desperation to just be recognized for everything she did. She'd always been in this rut. The third of four children. The Varsity Captain of the pillars. The Voice of the Dragons. She was always playing a supporting part, but always giving more than was ever asked of her.
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Post by Mathew Amtrum on Oct 16, 2013 20:50:43 GMT -8
He listened quietly as she talked. Staring right into her eyes. Blinking just a moment to late sometimes for it to feel natural. He didn't move other than that and the rising and falling of his chest. His attention was seemingly fully on her. Though he did make sure to have the girls in his peripheral vision when he turned to face her. He was aware of what was going on.
"I see."
There were a lot of questions to ask. And he could see where she was coming from. Since he had known her, as an enemy. She was never the best. At least not by status. She put up the best fight of the pillars, but it wasn't the fight that really mattered. She was captured, but not the most important person to rescue.
She dated important people, but that put her in their shadow, and even as a voice and the power and respect that had. It was an appointed title. Earned sure, but not really earned. Not the same was as being an Elder or even a named was earned.
"Well, let me asking you this. What is the difference between a named Dragon and an Elder Dragon?"
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Post by Your Mom~ on Oct 16, 2013 21:02:39 GMT -8
Olesya thought about his words for a moment, only now noticing after she'd stopped speaking how intense his gaze was. It was a bit unnerving at first, and then it dawned on her...he was listening. Like, truly listening to understand as opposed to waiting for his turn to speak. And when she thought about it, just how many people did just that.
She stayed silent long enough to get her answer together fully, the only sounds emanating from the happy girls on the floor.
"A name is a title. It's like an iconic piece of clothing. You're always wearing it, and it helps define you. Makes you stick out. But a title doesn't grant any power on its own. Like with what Leon did. He gave his title to the other man...I don't even know his name, but Leon announced that he was keeping the eldership for himself. He basically made him a figurehead, a puppet. It was a meaningless gesture, in the big picture. But an eldership...that's where the power lies. It's the top of the totem pole. It's the ultimate recognition on regards to the Dragons. Elder word is law. You can't refute that. I already have titles and names...Renegade, Experiment, Voice. What I need is the recognition, the irrefutable proof that I...my word actually means something."
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Post by Mathew Amtrum on Oct 16, 2013 21:08:28 GMT -8
Again he waited and listened. Turning his head to watch the children move and play around when one of the girls started to get a bit too close to the door. He gently tapped his foot on the stone floor that made up his house and caused the floor to shift around the door, a small wall rising up to block half the door and keep the kids from getting into trouble.
With that done his attention was back on Olesya and her explanation of what she wanted. He sucked on his tongue for a moment as he decided how he wanted to put this to her, and decided again that she responded best to questions, and making her work it out herself. At least until she became annoyed and unwilling to think. But she was not there yet.
"I'm an Elder and a named Dragon. Why do you follow me? We have been morally opposed on many issues in our lives and if I recall the brutality of some of my methods disgust you? Or at least are not how you believe things should be done."
He was not asking for reassurance. He wanted her to think about why she was following someone who so often was an enemy to her. Who she hated and attacked not even a year ago. Someone that she had every right to loathe, and yet she sat here asking his advice.
She needed to understand why.
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Post by Your Mom~ on Oct 16, 2013 21:15:11 GMT -8
"You haven't been my enemy since the correctional facility."
She answered honestly.
"We haven't seen eye to eye, sure. Had different views, opinions, beliefs a times. An enemy strictly endangers my well being, and you have not done that. Kicked my ass, sure. But there was always an ulterior motive behind it."
She thought about the second part of his question. Why did she follow him? She recognized that she looked up to him and valued his opinion, otherwise she wouldn't be here,
"I follow you because you make me think. And you listen. Not in the sense of hearing my sob story, but you see through that to the core of the problem. And you have a genuine interest to help me fix it. Obviously you have some sort of motive behind that as well, but as far as I can tell, it's benign. You're a positive force, believe it or not. Like a symbiotic relationship. I scratch your back, you scratch mine."
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Post by Mathew Amtrum on Oct 16, 2013 21:23:05 GMT -8
He was pleased to hear that he hadn't been considered an enemy in so long. That was good news for him. There were very few people that seemed to really understand Mathew. He felt that she was one of the closest. It was easy to see that Mathew was a violent brute. That he was manipulative and desired power. But not many people asked why. It was easy to write him off as power hungry for the sake of power. And really, it wouldn't be completely incorrect.
"You're right. I do have my own motives for what I do. No matter what it is I have a reason for it. And I am very pleased to hear that you believe me to be a positive force in the world."
Would that last forever though? Her opinion? His actual motives?
"You have done a good job in the power vacuum left by us Elders. For our various reasons. And I am recognizing and commending you for it. If you want I will even make you a medal."
He paused.
"What makes you think you deserve more?"
Non judgmental again. Simply a statement. She believes that she deserves to be the same as David, Leon, and himself. He wanted to hear from her why. Was it just because of recent actions? Were there more reasons? Were they even good ones?
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Post by Your Mom~ on Oct 16, 2013 21:30:19 GMT -8
"The world? Don't push it."
A little bit of her old spark surfaced in that moment, her eyes flashing and a shadow of a smirk gracing her features. The old Olesya was still in there, just buried under the layers of adulthood, battle scars, and responsibility.
"Why do I want more? Because I'm not done. The fact that David was able to waltz in and relieve me of my duties with only his word was enough to prove that I'm not seen for what I've done. For what I can do. And that's a real shame, palyica E's vilgehk pnemmeyhd."
She caught herself, switching to Dragonspeak as she swore. She wasn't sure if he was teaching his little ones Dragon, but she wasn't teaching Maddie beyond the security greeting, because she needed some sort of outlet for her remaining vulgarity.
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