A Little Lestranger - Printable Version
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+---- Thread: A Little Lestranger (/showthread.php?tid=16049)
A Little Lestranger - Antigone Lestrange - September 20, 2024
October 1st, 1894 — Oakshire Hall, Kent
Tig couldn't tell her two daughters apart, a fact which she was extraordinarily proud of. It was aided by the fact that she hadn't seen her daughters side by side since they'd been infants so comparing them was nigh on impossible. She didn't even know if they had distinguishing birthmarks. She recalled in her childhood seeing more of her mother than her children saw of her, but she despised her own mother so really wasn't she doing her own children a favor? They'd probably like her better this way anyway. Generally though, she adhered to the schedule of at least looking at her offspring once a week, unless she was in a particular mood or happened to conveniently find herself busy being elsewhere. It wasn't all drudgery though, every so often she found herself curious about the twins and the effort of visiting didn't seem like such an affront to her.
Fortunately, today was one of those convenient days that occurred only a few times a year where she felt like there might be something interesting to observe in one of them. Usually she was disappointed or else disturbed by how old they were getting, but they had to become interesting at some point, surely?
Tig narrowed her eyes at the child sat opposite her and concluded that she still couldn't tell which one this was. Good. Sometimes she wondered if Tiberius might've bumped one off on the sly and kept up the charade for an easier life. Honestly, she wouldn't be able to tell if he had. Now that was a thought that got under her skin a little, perhaps there was some merit in being able to distinguish her children from each other. Not that she was likely to do anything about it now or anytime soon. For now, she had to try and make small talk with a child that insisted on calling her 'Mama' which was perhaps her least favorite past time on her social calendar. Did you get this new tea set for your birthday, Imperatrix? She was pretty sure that had happened already, their birthday was in September, wasn't it? Not October? It'd be awkward if it was supposed to be a gift from her.
Outfit | Tag: Imperatrix Lestrange | Notes:
RE: A Little Lestranger - Imperatrix Lestrange - September 22, 2024
Peri was concentrating very hard on keeping her hand from wavering while she poured. This was the sort of thing she usually practiced with Nurse all week — any skill she was expected to preform with her mother was drilled in early and often. It felt a little unfair to have a new thing to do with her mother the very first day back in Oakshire Hall. She suspected this was some sort of special test, different than all the other weekly visits, and she was determined to perform well on it, despite being inadequately prepared. She was holding the handle delicately, as she'd been taught, and had her other hand resting on the lid as she poured. But the teapot was awfully heavy, full of tea like this. It was never this heavy when she played pretend.
The question made her cheeks flush. She thought this set was a gift from her mother, but now she supposed she'd been wrong. She'd never seen it before this morning; how was she supposed to remember where it had come from? But it certainly hadn't been here when she'd left in August.
"Yes, Mama," she said, hoping this was correct. She wanted to look to Nurse for a sign, but thought her mother might catch her looking and she might fail the test. She lifted the teapot back to level, with great difficulty, and moved to pour her own cup.
The question made her cheeks flush. She thought this set was a gift from her mother, but now she supposed she'd been wrong. She'd never seen it before this morning; how was she supposed to remember where it had come from? But it certainly hadn't been here when she'd left in August.
"Yes, Mama," she said, hoping this was correct. She wanted to look to Nurse for a sign, but thought her mother might catch her looking and she might fail the test. She lifted the teapot back to level, with great difficulty, and moved to pour her own cup.
RE: A Little Lestranger - Antigone Lestrange - September 23, 2024
Twinkle twinkle you can't hide
I'm the devil in disguise
I'm the devil in disguise
With a critical eye Tig watched the little girl pour tea. She supposed other women would find this endearing but there seemed to be an amount of silent struggle going on that she found irritating, like watching a wounded animal slowly dragging itself out of the road to avoid being hit by a second carriage. She wasn't sure if the child was blushing from exertion or something else, she didn't particularly care either way.
How nice. Merlin this was dull. She sighed heavily and stared her daughter down with dissatisfaction. She felt an urge to knock the teapot out of the girl's hand just to see what she'd do about it. Would she burst into tears? Would she lose her temper? From the unassuming look of her Tig thought she'd probably just cry which would be incredibly obnoxious. It would certainly tell her all she needed to know about whether this child was a waste of space or not. It would have to be somewhat entertaining though, even if the girl did just sit there and cry. The girl moved her hand in such a way that Tig realized she had a clear view of her hand on the handle. Quickly, Tig drew her wand under the table, discreetly positioned the tip of it just over the edge of the table, and then non-verbally cast a severing charm at the handle. As soon as she'd committed, she realized she should have just used a spell to make the handle fall off rather than risk severing her own child's fingers. Oops.
Outfit | Tag: Imperatrix Lestrange | Notes:
RE: A Little Lestranger - Imperatrix Lestrange - October 8, 2024
She was focusing on keeping her hand level and watching the tea as it poured, so she didn't see the handle crack. She didn't notice anything about it at all until the pot was falling to the table, and she didn't have time to react before it hit the surface and shattered. It was porcelain, fine and thin; a fall like that had done it in for good. The jagged pieces knocked over Imperatrix's teacup and saucer. The remaining tea came out like an ocean wave and soaked through everything, leaving a cloud of steam as it went. The tablecloth stained immediately. The sugar cubes in the bowl melted into a syrupy puddle. Peri looked from the absolute chaos the tea table had become up to her mother, eyes wide as dinner plates. She looked to Nurse, panicked, but the woman seemed to have frozen in shock. She was on her own. She felt quite certain that if this was a special test, she had failed it.
She looked back to her mother, eyes still wide and still clutching the handle of the destroyed teapot in her hand. Was it possible that she was somehow responsible for that? She'd heard stories from her cousins about people using magic by accident before they went to school; there was a rumor that Cousin Regina had destroyed the whole park in Hogsmeade. But she hadn't wanted to do that — she'd been trying so hard to keep her hand level. She'd wanted this to go well; she couldn't have been the cause of this mess.
"It must not have been a very good tea set," she said quietly. "For all that it was pretty."
She looked back to her mother, eyes still wide and still clutching the handle of the destroyed teapot in her hand. Was it possible that she was somehow responsible for that? She'd heard stories from her cousins about people using magic by accident before they went to school; there was a rumor that Cousin Regina had destroyed the whole park in Hogsmeade. But she hadn't wanted to do that — she'd been trying so hard to keep her hand level. She'd wanted this to go well; she couldn't have been the cause of this mess.
"It must not have been a very good tea set," she said quietly. "For all that it was pretty."
RE: A Little Lestranger - Antigone Lestrange - October 28, 2024
Twinkle twinkle you can't hide
I'm the devil in disguise
I'm the devil in disguise
For the longest moment, Tig didn't say anything, only stared unblinking into her daughter's eyes. She willed the girl to burst into tears, her hand almost itching to strike the girl if she did. Without lowering her gaze, Tig slowly slid her wand back into the pocket of her dress, with her free hand she took the girl's face firmly in her hand and brushed a droplet of tea off her chin. Are you suggesting your father and I would buy you cheap gifts? she asked, her voice hinting at a threat. Truthfully, she didn't know if either of them had had anything to do with the tea set, it might've been a gift from some other member of the family for all she knew or cared. Meanwhile, she was almost slightly impressed that the girl had the nerve to speak as she had rather than bawling, but that just meant a little more effort was needed to push her over the edge.
Her hand still grapsed Imperatrix's chin, depsite the fact that Tig found the idea of being in physical contact with her that long rather repulsive and probably unsanitary.
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RE: A Little Lestranger - Imperatrix Lestrange - January 1, 2025
Then it had been a gift from her mother? Peri stood on her tiptoes while her mother held her chin, trying her best to keep her head level but still not entirely able to manage it. Her mother's touch was not gentle. Why had she asked the question earlier if she had been the one to buy it and knew the answer already? That had been a test after all — or maybe it was just the lead up into this moment. This was certainly a test.
"No, Mama," she responded. She might have trembled on the inside but her voice was clear; she knew how to do this. Six or seven layers to every feeling, and the one that made it through to the surface had been beaten down to something indistinguishable from politeness. She blinked and tried to determine whether or not she was going to cry; it seemed a proper moment for it, but the tears weren't there. She hadn't been invested in the tea set, and her mother — well, she had not expected affection from her. So there wasn't so much to be disappointed about, in the end, and she knew — knew — crying constituted failing the test.
"Should I make the other pot?" she asked, thinking that perhaps her mother wouldn't let go of her chin until there was a task to set herself to.
"No, Mama," she responded. She might have trembled on the inside but her voice was clear; she knew how to do this. Six or seven layers to every feeling, and the one that made it through to the surface had been beaten down to something indistinguishable from politeness. She blinked and tried to determine whether or not she was going to cry; it seemed a proper moment for it, but the tears weren't there. She hadn't been invested in the tea set, and her mother — well, she had not expected affection from her. So there wasn't so much to be disappointed about, in the end, and she knew — knew — crying constituted failing the test.
"Should I make the other pot?" she asked, thinking that perhaps her mother wouldn't let go of her chin until there was a task to set herself to.
RE: A Little Lestranger - Antigone Lestrange - January 6, 2025
Twinkle twinkle you can't hide
I'm the devil in disguise
I'm the devil in disguise
The girl, to her credit, managed to hold her composure. This somehow managed to both please and irritate her at the same time. She let Imperatrix's question hang in the air as she considered her. Ultimately, she chose to ignore it. Are you holding back tears, Imperatrix? There was blatant derision and scolding in her tone. You can't lie to me. Even as she stared into the girl's eyes, she couldn't help but struggle to recognize much of herself in her features. To think she'd once protected the twins as her only legacy (little had she known they wouldn't be her last children) and they might easily have been someone else's. It couldn't be possible that they weren't hers, but even if it were possible somehow, why would Tiberius have gone to such efforts at that stage of their marriage?
Outfit | Tag: Imperatrix Lestrange | Notes:
RE: A Little Lestranger - Imperatrix Lestrange - January 6, 2025
Imperatrix's brow furrowed. This was still the test, and she knew to cry was to fail. Her mother wanted her to fail, she was realizing. It was making her angry that Peri wasn't crying yet. She wasn't sure what to do with this information. Her nurse had impressed upon her — perhaps not directly, but certainly implicitly — that her mother's approval was something she should strive for at all costs. But for a girl who had mostly been met with indifference prior to this point, even her mother's anger felt like... something. At least this was proof that she cared enough to be angry.
She squirmed, trying to wrest her jaw out of her mother's hands. She dropped the handle of the teapot that she had been holding, and it cracked and splintered when it hit the table, adding more ceramic shards to the mess of hot tea.
She squirmed, trying to wrest her jaw out of her mother's hands. She dropped the handle of the teapot that she had been holding, and it cracked and splintered when it hit the table, adding more ceramic shards to the mess of hot tea.
RE: A Little Lestranger - Antigone Lestrange - January 6, 2025
Twinkle twinkle you can't hide
I'm the devil in disguise
I'm the devil in disguise
As she kept her hold of her daughter's chin, her mind drifted to the possibility of changelings. Tiberius could feasibly have replaced them at any point and she wouldn't have noticed... They did resemble him though, but then he'd pick some that did, wouldn't he? But why? It was a rather messy train of thought she had to abandon in light of the suddenly squirming child in her hand. The smashing of the teapot made Tig recoil in surprise, releasing Imperatrix in the process (although it might've been that she'd already slipped free). Tig was fuming. How dare she, how dare she! She'd been made to feel momentarily vulnerable and that was unacceptable. Without a second thought she raised her hand and struck the girl soundly across the face.
She'd never hit one of them before, or any child for that matter (not since she'd been one). Tig felt jittery with the rush of adrenaline that was now flooding her. Well?
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RE: A Little Lestranger - Imperatrix Lestrange - January 6, 2025
Her head whipped to the side with the force of her mother striking her. Peri gasped, shocked by this turn of events. She felt off balance. Her ears rang briefly. She looked back up at her mother with wide eyes, unsure whether anything else was coming. She wanted nurse, and almost let her eyes slip to the side to seek her out, but managed to hold her gaze on the woman in front of her instead. Her legs were trembling.
Well? her mother said.
This was not a test it was possible to pass, Peri realized. Her mother had been looking for ways to make her stumble from the beginning. She'd asked her questions that had no right answers, grabbed her like that, struck her. This was a test she was always meant to fail. Trying to be stronger would only make it last longer.
She burst into tears, both hands moving to cradle her stinging cheek.
Well? her mother said.
This was not a test it was possible to pass, Peri realized. Her mother had been looking for ways to make her stumble from the beginning. She'd asked her questions that had no right answers, grabbed her like that, struck her. This was a test she was always meant to fail. Trying to be stronger would only make it last longer.
She burst into tears, both hands moving to cradle her stinging cheek.
RE: A Little Lestranger - Antigone Lestrange - January 6, 2025
Twinkle twinkle you can't hide
I'm the devil in disguise
I'm the devil in disguise
And finally she cried. Stop it! Seeing her cry wasn't as satisfying as she'd expected - perhaps if it wasn't her child it would be, but now she just felt disgusting mingling with the lingering exhilaration. It's pathetic. She took the girl's wrists in her hands and tried to yank them away from her face. Crying only makes people want to hurt you more, do you understand? To her own surprise it came out less as a threat and more of an incredibly harsh warning. She released her again and had to actively stop herself from taking a step back.
Outfit | Tag: Imperatrix Lestrange | Notes:
RE: A Little Lestranger - Imperatrix Lestrange - February 2, 2025
her mother grabbed on to her wrists and Peri was expecting more violence, perhaps to be pushed back against the chair or the wall and held in place while she was lectured, or perhaps to be shoved to the ground or struck again. But none of that happened. Her mother did speak to her, but it didn't sound quite like a lecture — it was said with urgency, like a secret one had to confide quickly before being caught. And then she let her hands go again. Peri trembled where she stood, unsure what to make of any of it.
Crying makes people want to hurt you more. She sniffled and tried to stop, but was very aware that her nose was already running and no amount of sniffling would prevent it from making a mess of her face. She didn't dare reach up and fix it with her sleeve, and the napkins were out of reach. She'd have had to move closer to her mother to retrieve one, and there was no chance of that. Why would people want to hurt her for crying? She didn't understand, not at all. She understood nothing of what her mother was trying to convey. She didn't understand why the test had been impossible to pass, and she didn't understand why she'd been struck, and she didn't understand these words.
But she suspected it wouldn't be wise to admit to that. Still sniffling, she nodded. "Yes, Mama."
Crying makes people want to hurt you more. She sniffled and tried to stop, but was very aware that her nose was already running and no amount of sniffling would prevent it from making a mess of her face. She didn't dare reach up and fix it with her sleeve, and the napkins were out of reach. She'd have had to move closer to her mother to retrieve one, and there was no chance of that. Why would people want to hurt her for crying? She didn't understand, not at all. She understood nothing of what her mother was trying to convey. She didn't understand why the test had been impossible to pass, and she didn't understand why she'd been struck, and she didn't understand these words.
But she suspected it wouldn't be wise to admit to that. Still sniffling, she nodded. "Yes, Mama."
RE: A Little Lestranger - Antigone Lestrange - May 4, 2025
Twinkle twinkle you can't hide
I'm the devil in disguise
I'm the devil in disguise
Good, she spat the word out like it had scalded her mouth. Was the other one this fragile? The sight of the girl's snotty nose sickened her. She finally took a step back. Clean yourself up. Have some dignity. She hadn't been like this as a child, she was sure of it. Was the girl going to be scared of her now? That really wouldn't do, no child of hers could possibly be cowed so easily, she refused to accept it.
If she knew she was in direct competition with her double, would that awaken something interesting in her, in both of them? It was a shame they couldn't know. Disappointing, she sighed. She stared at the girl a few moments longer before turning and leaving without another word.
Outfit | Tag: Imperatrix Lestrange | Notes: