forum Learning to be human

Started January 03, 2023 by @FanfictionFanatic-The-Elder group

tune

“True. But I could still tell you were thinking about something.” Maddalena pointed out as she divided the eggs between the two plates. “The better you know yourself, the more you can control what other people can see.” she explained.

-

“Oh, of course.” Eymanthus nodded. “Well, let's see… I love music and can even play some. No kids but I like them.” he lied, it had been a while but there had been children of his. “And I enjoy traveling, getting to see the world.” he smiled.

Daisy nodded, soaking up her new mentor’s wisdom as she offered it. “So how can I do that?” she asked, putting the first piece of toast on Maddalena’s plate before she started to butter her own. “Get to know myself.”

—

Anna listened to each word he said like he was God. Little did she know… But her smile was sweet as he talked about his life. “Do you have a job?” she asked curiously. “I wish I could travel often.”

“The same way you would get to know anyone. You ask questions and if you do not have an answer, figure out ones that feel right to you.” Maddalena advised. “It may not be easy and the answers may surprise you but it's worth it.” she smiled.

-

“Umm, not really. Depending on how long I’m in one place I’ll pick up a small part-time job somewhere until I feel the need to move on.” Eymanthus answered, doing quite an impression of looking sheepish. “Well, why don't you travel more?” he suggested.

Maddalena's words both inspired and intimidated Daisy. It seemed easy at first, though she agreed with Maddalena and knew that it would be anything but. "I think I will," she said with a small smile. "You know, the more I talk to you, the more everything changes. In a good way," she added the last bit quickly with a grin.

–

Anna just about sighed at his bashful expression. This man was both kind and attractive. She was nearly tipping over the edge that would lead to falling for him. It wouldn't be hard. Anna was a desperately hopeless romantic woman.

"I can't," Anna replied quietly, looking suddenly self-conscious. "I have Daisy. And…" Uneasiness settled on her face. "Limited funds," she finished. She punctuated her admission with a long sip from her drink.

Maddalena smiled at the girl's reply. “I hope it truly does change things for the better for you.” she said sincerely. “Now, let’s eat before breakfast gets cold.” she suggested, picking up her plate.

-

Eymanthus was doing all he could to keep from smirking at his victory. This was all too easy… But still enjoyable.

“Oh, of course.” he nodded as if the realization had just come to him. “I’m sure your daughter would like to travel too but… If you can't afford it, it's hard enough.” he agreed. “Sorry about that. I wish I could help you with that.” he paused for a moment before brightening his smile. “What if I offered to take you to dinner tonight? Would I be forgiven then?”

Daisy picked up her plate too, easily following her new mentor's lead. "Okay! Mom should be getting back anytime now. I'm surprised she's still out." She hadn't even realized she'd revisited the previous discussion about Anna's abrupt exit until she had already spoken the words.

–

"Daisy would love to travel," Anna mused. "She has such a spirit of wanderlust."

She refused to look at him as he mentioned wishing he could help. Not that she was offended by it, but Anna didn't like to 'take handouts.' She hated seeming like she couldn't provide for herself and Daisy when, in reality, she easily could. It's just that… her money usually went elsewhere.

But then, as he casually asked her out, Anna's heart began to race. "Oh, yes," she agreed, perhaps a bit too quickly. She blushed at herself. "That would be… lovely."

“Well, I hope she got something to eat on her own.” Maddalena quipped, taking a seat at the same table she sat at last night. “You said she goes out often like this?”

-

Eymanthus nodded, giving a soft hum. “I can understand that. Especially at fifteen. The want to travel and discover all they can, I think it's strongest at that age. I just never grew out of it.” he shrugged.

“Great. Thank you.” he beamed at her acceptance. “Uhh, how about we meet at The King’s Arms around… eight?” he suggested, knowingly naming an high class restaurant.

Daisy sighed. "Yeah. Especially when she thinks a lot about Dad. She needs to go out and clear her head. Up until a few months ago, she would drag me with her, so I can confidently tell you that it usually consists of coffee, a brief trip through the park, and eventually making her way home." The girl's eyes darted to the clock. "She should be home any minute now if she's sticking to her schedule."

–

Anna's gaze softened as she thought about Daisy and her daughter's desire to explore the world heedlessly. "I believe that," she murmured.

She smiled back at him, thinking about how adorable his grin was. That was when she almost choked on her drink. "Are… Are you sure?" she asked, covering her lips to hide her shock. She'd never been to The King's Arms, only drove by it on occasion and seen pictures in magazines.

Maddalena nodded thoughtfully. “I see. I can understand needing space to clear your head of something.” she admitted. “I just usually cause a little chaos when I do that.”

-

“Why not? I hear it's a wonderful place. Good food and very popular.” he shrugged. “It’ll be my treat. I insist.” he assured.

(evil plot idea activated, unopened and pending acceptance)

Daisy bit into her toast and hummed. "I did too. That's why she stopped making me come with her," she remarked with a mischievous smirk.

–

Anna hesitated a moment before agreeing. "Alright. If you're sure…" She sipped from her drink to hide her excited smile at the thought of dining with Ethan at The King's Arms. It was like a dream come true.

(PM me!)

Maddalena laughed at Daisy's comment but smiled proudly. "I'm sure we were different in what kind of chaos but I am glad to know we have another thing in common." she admitted.

-

"Wonderful." Eymanthus grinned. "Ah, here is my number… Just in case, and I will see you tonight, my lady." he said, bowing slightly to her as he stood before walking out of the cafe though he threw he a quick wink as he stepped out the door.

(Obviously ;))

Daisy giggled. “Probably very different, but still. I pissed Mom off enough times that she doesn’t ask me anymore.” She paused a moment, thinking about what she’d done. “I don’t know if I regret it or not.”

—

Anna was spellbound as he addressed and bowed to her like she was some kind of royalty. Well, they were going to The King’s Arms after all. Why couldn’t she pretend to be royalty for a few hours of the evening?

She blushed brilliantly at his wink before happening to glance at the time. Had she really been gone for that long?

Anna quickly finished her drink, the few sips that remained, and rushed out of the cafe. She made sure Ethan’s number was tucked safely in her pocket as she walked quickly back up the streets until she got back to her flat. She slipped her key out, unlocked the door, and stepped into the house.

“I’m home!” she called, slipping her coat off her arms and hanging it up beside the door.

Maddalena nodded with a thoughtful hum. “I admit that my first reaction, most of the time, is to cause chaos but… Do you miss spending time with your mother like that?” she asked with a raised brow.

“Welcome back.” she called when Anna’s voice was heard.

“Sometimes,” Daisy answered, but before she could say any more, the sounds of Anna returning home interrupted them. She swallowed her words immediately and called out, “We’re in the dining room, Mom!”

Anna inhaled slowly and walked into the dining room. “Hello, love,” she greeted Daisy with a kiss to her hair. “Did you have any trouble while I was gone?”

“No,” Daisy replied simply. “We made breakfast and talked a bit.”

“Oh?” Anna asked, opening the refrigerator and searching for a small something to eat. “What did you talk about?”

Maddalena hummed softly at the answer but with Anna present the conversation had to be dropped for now. “Mostly Daisy has been teaching me about your modern tools, especially in cooking, and she told me that one of my favorite thieves is still popular.” she smirked a little, deliberately leaving out their arrangement.

Anna hummed softly. “I see,” she remarked as she selected a cup of yogurt. She shut the door to the refrigerator and made her way to another drawer across the kitchen to get a spoon. “And which thief would that be?”

“Robin Hood,” Daisy answered. “Can we watch the movie tonight, Mom? Please?”

“Alright,” Anna agreed, though it was almost done without a thought. Her words were rather absent as she kept replaying her interaction with Ethan over and over in her mind.

Daisy noticed and frowned. “Everything alright, Mom?”

“Yes, darling,” came the easy response.

Maddalena raised a brow at Anna’s distracted attitude. “Well, good. Then you won't mind that I decided to take Daisy under my wing and teach her a few tricks.” she said, mostly just to test how much she was actually listening to them.

Anna hummed vaguely in response. She was so painfully distracted and unlike herself… until the words processed in her mind. Her expression immediately changed, and she whirled around in disbelief. “You will do no such thing!” she exclaimed.

Daisy winced. “Was that necessary?” she muttered to the goddess beside her.

That was the wrong thing to say with Anna within earshot. Her expression twisted between confusion, shock, anger, then hurt. “You were going to do this without my knowledge?” she asked, painfully looking between Daisy and Maddalena.

“Calm yourselves.” Maddalena assured, raising her hands in peace. “I mostly said that to make sure you were listening to us.” she assured Anna, before looking at Daisy. “And considering that she clearly wasn't listening clearly, I felt a shock was necessary.” she answered Daisy.

But seeing the look Anna was giving them, reminded her too much of the more powerful members of the Pantheon that she was having a hard time not including her. “Would you like me to teach you and your daughter some self-defense techniques?” she offered, not admitting to the accusation.

Mother and daughter both looked at each other at Maddalena’s explanations. Daisy offered a nervous smile in exchange for Anna’s softened neutral expression. Silent apologies.

Anna was taken aback at the offer. “Self-defense?” she asked hesitantly. “Do you mean… fighting?”

“It’s for your own protection, Mom,” Daisy remarked. “And mine,” she added.

Anna took a deep breath. Finally, she asked, “What kind of techniques do you have in mind?”

Maddalena watched the silent exchange with just a hint of envy as she realized how much she missed that kind of bond.

She nodded at Daisy’s explanation, glad that she was helping their side of the discussion. “We would start with unarmed techniques, mostly to stun and wound, possibly maim… and some disarming tricks as well as how to turn an enemy’s weapon against them.” she answered, feeling that was a good enough start. Anything beyond that would depend on how well they did and how long she would be here.

Anna inhaled steadily as she listened to Maddalena's description of what their "training" would consist of. "Oh God," she whispered, leaning against the wall for support. Daisy stood up quickly, but Anna waved her off. "I'm fine," she murmured. "I just…" She sighed. "Alright. It won't hurt to try."

Daisy immediately beamed, then tried to look more serious as she nodded in agreement.

Maddalena raised a brow at Anna’s reaction to, what she considered, the bare minimum of training. Especially since she didn't even mention weapons training or anything serious. “Do people not teach others how to protect themselves anymore?” she asked curiously.

Anna opened her mouth to reply, but Daisy beat her to it.

“No,” the girl said, rather sharply. “They don’t. And I would like to learn how.”

Anna stiffened. “Daisy…”

Daisy looked at her mother and arched her eyebrows. “Do you remember how easily-”

Anna’s eyes widened, and she winced. “Don’t say it.”

“-how easily that woman overpowered me?” Daisy finished, a bite in her words. “She was just a housekeeper.”

“I sincerely doubt her only job was to be a housekeeper,” Anna retorted.

Daisy’s eyes narrowed. “You know what I mean.”

“I tried to come after you-” Anna began.

“And you were manhandled like a child and shoved down onto the carpet!” Daisy yelled, cutting off Anna’s words and stopping her cold. “Don’t think I didn’t see it. I was trying to get to you too! There was nothing either of us could do! Don’t you want to change that?!”

Anna blinked. Her heart was racing, the memory coming back in full force, and she leaned entirely on the wall for support as she began to feel lightheaded. “We agreed,” she whispered, “to never talk about that day again.”

At once, Daisy knew she’d crossed a line. She took a small step toward her mother, but Anna was already pushing away from the wall and moving toward the stairs. “Mom!” Daisy called after her, but she was ignored. The master bedroom door shut soundly, and Daisy sank back into her chair. Her eyes were unfocused and teary, and her cheeks were red and warm. “I messed up,” she whispered softly.

Maddalena blinked at the ferocity of this conversation. She hadn’t intended to start an argument but… She had to admit the topic was interesting. But unfortunate. The fact that both of them had been attacked more than once and hadn't considered self-defense before didn't seem very smart to her.

“Come here, Daisy.” she said gently, reaching her arms out. “I don't know if you messed up or not and I know a few things about messing things up, it’s how I ended up here…” she reminded. “But I'm sure we can find a way to fix this.”

Daisy couldn’t help it. She broke down into tears and rushed into Maddalena’s arms. “I shouldn’t have said that,” she sobbed. “She was right. We agreed not to talk about it again. I hate Nikhail!” She cried into the goddess’s shoulder, trembling with emotion.

Upstairs, Anna shut herself in the bedroom she and Harry had shared for years. A wave of panic and pain struck her, and she covered her mouth to keep in her own quiet sobs. She’d resented herself that day. Not being able to see the trap until it was too late. Not being able to protect Daisy. Forced to look into Nikhail’s eyes as he told her how smart she was right before he betrayed every ounce of trust she had in him. It made her stomach turn violently.

Maddalena hugged the girl close, letting her vent her emotions. There weren't too many times she had held a child like this but she knew that Daisy needed this. "You don't have to explain. Your mother told me what happend with him." she assured. "He won't hurt you again and I will teach you how to fight back." she promised, though she knew she would have to talk to Anna soon as well.

Normally, Daisy would’ve been embarrassed to have been coddled. But she pressed her face into Maddalena’s shoulder and whimpered. As the goddess’ assurance, Daisy sat up quickly and stared at her, tears still tricking from her eyes.

“She told you?” the girl asked in disbelief. There was no way Anna spilled the entirety of what had happened that day. “What all did she say?”

Maddalena nodded slightly at the questions. “She did, though she admitted it wasn't everything.” she answered. “She told me that they had met through their work and became close. Though he was an evil man who was putting on an act so no one would suspect him… Until he kidnapped you and your mother.” she sighed, glad that that man was dead otherwise she would be tempted to destroy him herself. “I believe she mentioned that he was trying to get to your father as well and… That you nearly drowned.”

Daisy swallowed heavily. "Yeah, that's basically it. Nikhail offered for us to spend the day with him. I never really did like him. Mom was the one who kept him in our lives. But we were at his house, and I was watching TV. She and Nikhail were talking, and then she backed away and said we had to go. Nikhail's housekeeper grabbed me and dragged me away. Mom was going to come and get me, but another man… I don't know who he was… came out of nowhere, and he shoved her to the ground. I don't know where they took her, but we were separated. And… my dad saved me. I don't really remember it. Mom told me I passed out, and Dad revived me after he pulled me out of the pool. I was tied to a chair with a weight on the bottom. Mom was too, but they only pushed me in. Not her."