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+---- Thread: The War at Home (/showthread.php?tid=14415)
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The War at Home - Emma Macmillan - 04-14-2014
The maid poured her tea and Emma glared as subtly as she could at the newspaper. Killian had it, because of course he had gotten to it first, which meant that Emma had nothing to read during breakfast. She had only come down here for breakfast because she had wanted to get a hold of the paper. For several moments she had herself convinced that Killian was doing this on purpose; then she remembered that they were not the same people.
She took a dainty sip of her tea and took a grapefruit off of the plate in front of her. Emma dug her spoon into it and took a bite. It seemed to her that Killian had not made any progress on the newspaper. She sighed and decided to start rambling, because it was not as though she had anything better to do when he was reading her paper.
"Did you read yesterday's article?" Emma asked, "The one on flowers for a summer wedding. I suppose that you might have run out of time - well. Aidsworth suggested - carnelias and carnations. It made me think that we ought to get a new display for the parlor, before your sister next visits. Don't you think?" She smiled, sharklike.
RE: The War at Home - Killian Macmillan - 04-14-2014
It was a testament to Killian’s self control that he didn’t have the newspaper delivered directly to his personal chambers. It was a very tempting notion and one he could certainly accomplish. It would not put the house staff in a good light with Emma but Killian had been doubting of late whether anyone was ever truly + in good light with her.
No, it was some how more satisfying to win the the unacknowledged race for the newspaper they had every morning. And he won most days. But of course he wouldn't be permitted to read in peace. He could feel her staring. It was most certainly coming.
"No," he said with a tempered sigh. "I can't say that I did." he gave the paper a subtle shake which in it self was silly. Emma was not one to mind subtleties. "That sounds just fine."
RE: The War at Home - Emma Macmillan - 04-14-2014
Emma rolled her eyes at the shaken newspaper. As if that would be enough to get her to stop; she had all the time in the world.
"Good, good," Emma said, "I'm glad that you agree."
She took another bite of her grapefruit, and a second to regroup her thoughts. Maybe she should just let Killian be - that might mess with him more effectively than arguing ever could. But she never had been good at letting things lie. And when they were like this - with no reason to pretend and lacking the laziness to just ignore each other - it was very fun to watch him get more and more disgruntled.
That was what he got for not talking to her about anything of worth.
"I was thinking of yellow carnations," Emma said, "But I've heard that they mean disdain, symbolically, and I should hate to offend anyone."
RE: The War at Home - Killian Macmillan - 04-14-2014
He stared purposefully at the article article before him. Already he was having to reread sentences twice and even three times over and he still hadn't gotten much past the fact that there was a rogue pixie attack somewhere. Instead, his head was filled with ridiculous pictures of 'offensive flowers'. How on earth could a flower be offensive?
Did you hear? Sue says Jane had offensive flowers!
*gasp* No way. The scandal!
His face fluttered in brief expression as he caught him self mocking her in his head. It could be passed as normal but was more likely a tick of tension being released. "Whatever you think is best." He said shortly. He knew it was on purpose. He knew she was only talking to him about flowers to interrupt his reading. He knew this because once upon a time he'd done the reasonable thing and put down the paper to talk with her. They didn't talk. She took the paper.
RE: The War at Home - Emma Macmillan - 04-14-2014
She was making progress. Emma hid a smirk behind her hand.
"I'm glad that you agree," she said cordially. "Aidsworth also suggested camellias - for a summer wedding, I mean. Though they might look good on our walkway." She twirled a strand of hair around her finger.
"I am rather partial to hydrangeas though. Do we have some of those in the back garden? I can't remember. We should get more. I'll be sure not to do anything too drastic," Emma said. She didn't actually care this much about flowers. They had a gardener to care about flowers for them. But it truly was an inspired way to annoy her husband. She wanted that paper.
RE: The War at Home - Killian Macmillan - 04-16-2014
Killian turned his head to the side once as if conflicted over the urge to shake his head. She was skilled at this, he had to give her that. Skilled like a lion, leaping with claws exposed, ready to sink them in whatever flesh the could find.
"You spend more time in the back garden than I do, darling" He unfolded his paper as large as it would go and held it in front of his face, effectively blocking out everything in sight. "I wasn't aware you were planning on hosting a summer wedding back there."
RE: The War at Home - Emma Macmillan - 04-17-2014
Emma gave Killian a dirty look.
"Sweetheart, I'm merely asking for your opinion," she said, putting on her most innocent voice though her husband knew her too well for that to really work. "And really, the summer wedding has nothing to do with the flowers. I'm sure we'll throw at least one function this summer - especially with my father running for Minister!"
RE: The War at Home - Killian Macmillan - 04-18-2014
Killian openly grimaced in her general direction. He may have been freed from her gaze by his newspaper screen but it did not spare the maid a side view of his expression. His Opinion! He didn't have an opinion on flowers. He would have an opinion on rogue pixie attacks if he'd be permitted to read about it.
"Have you taken their scents into consideration?" He asked in a exceedingly neutral tone knowing full well that she'd know what he meant. If he wasn't going to be allowed to read he might as well needle her right back. He may not have known what camellias looked like, nor especially cared, but he did care if the specific combination of flowers Emma insisted on made their home smell like floral death. Like last time.
RE: The War at Home - Emma Macmillan - 04-18-2014
"Of course," Emma said. She looked to the left at nothing but the wall and the roses in a vase, pouted slightly - the very picture of the slightly offended wife. Emma Macmillan was always attempting to embody some sort of aesthetic. She was usually successful.
A beat. Her lips slid up into a smirk. She looked back at her husband.
She had not expected Killian to remember last year's flowers. If they did not make Megara sneeze, she would have gotten them again, just to see what he would do.
"What ever do you take me for?"
RE: The War at Home - Killian Macmillan - 04-18-2014
The half a moment of silence gave him time to start a new sentence with renewed vigor, thinking he'd silenced her. Until she spoke again. Damn. He should have told her to let the gardener worry about it because she made their garden smell like the perfume worn by cheap whores. Not that Killian fraternized with cheap whores but the strong words might have bought him at least a minute's worth of silence... or a shouting match that would give him excuse to storm out.
The list of words that sprang to his mind in answer to her question was long and colorful but he let them echo in his mind. Her attempt to pull them away from subtleties and out into the open was amusing. The idea of not falling for it seemed more satisfying than calling her a dull minded fool, outright. So, he simply sighed, folded the corner of the page he'd been on, and moved to something that required less attention: the weather. "Only a beautiful and loving wife, darling"
RE: The War at Home - Emma Macmillan - 04-18-2014
Emma grinned - just for a second, and it wasn't a very innocent grin, but it was a grin nonetheless. Winning required getting him to relinquish the paper - but she had at least brought them to a draw.
"Oh, dear heart, you flatter me so," Emma said. She took a sip of her water.
It was entirely possible for her to leave it there and be satisfied. She had disturbed Killian's reading - a sufficient punishment for his taking the paper first, in her mind - and she did have things to do. Calls to pay, people to talk to at the club, business partners of his to investigate. But there was something so tempting about continuing to make her little jabs - and Emma had always been the sort to give into temptation.
"Are you sure that you want to fold down the corner of the paper like that?"
RE: The War at Home - Killian Macmillan - 04-18-2014
That's all it took. He'd foolishly started to believe that they might end up keeping up the civility that morning but all it took was that comment to get his blood boiling more than any of her other needling. "Oh yes. I can't seem to make it through this article." He said, making no effort to neutralize the heated tension in his voice. He folded the paper in half, and once more, to a size he could hold with one hand and an glare at her over the edge of.
"But I have no doubt it will be straightened by the time I return to it." The same tension in his voice carried over to his jaw line in the way he clenched his teeth.
RE: The War at Home - Emma Macmillan - 04-21-2014
It was all Emma could do to keep from laughing at him. There was something so funny about arguing with Killian, at least in the way he tried so hard to keep from screaming at first. Emma would have grown bored of it by now if it wasn't so funny.
And she did so love a good argument.
She rested her head on her hand and raised her eyebrows at him. "Well, those things happen, you know," Emma said, in a light, innocent sort of voice, "I'm sure the - marks left by your fold will help you find your place, at any rate."
RE: The War at Home - Killian Macmillan - 04-23-2014
"You could at least have the decency to own to it, wife of mine" He said coldly. Drawn past the ruse of civility, he now stared at the paper spitefully, his eyes moving over the lines of text with out taking much of it in.
He stirred his tea absently before bringing it to his lips, kicking himself for the tenth time for not having his breakfast sent to his chambers. There was precious little worth sitting in her wretched company. At least that was his stance that morning and it had been the same many times before.
RE: The War at Home - Emma Macmillan - 04-25-2014
Emma sighed. The way she saw it, she had two options - she could either continue to needle him, (and possibly provoke a screaming match that would have the maids walking on eggshells around her all day,) or leave the room and decide that this was as close to winning as she would get.
She didn't like it when the maids were tentative.
But if she went to the club she would not have to deal with them anyways.
And sometimes she felt like she and Killian were much happier when they were openly warring with each other. Maybe she would ask him sometime.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Emma said, "Really, Killian, you're always blaming me for everything. Some things are your fault, you know."
RE: The War at Home - Killian Macmillan - 04-27-2014
"Oh yes, you are so quick to remind me of that. Thank you." he said resolutely folding the paper and settling it in his lap. "I might not have known otherwise."
He calmly reached for a scone. At least there were a few things left in this house that had not yet been sapped of their sweetness by her poisonous presence. Usually his irritation for Emma did not take a turn for poetic until they were in separate rooms. Giving up the pretense of reading had sped the standard progression along. He was ready for when she would ask for the paper. And very ready to give her a simple no. Because he could.
Until he took a sip of his tea. Damnable herbal tea! He shoved the cup back to the saucer in disgust. It wasn't even technically tea it was weed water! It was all he could do not to lash out at the girl who'd been serving their tea. She looked like she'd been expecting some sort of explosion because she tensed when he turned to her. He pinched the bridge of his nose, eyes shut in frustration.
"A fresh pot. Coffee. No no, leave that one." He added when he saw the girl trying to clear away the first tray. "Mrs. Macmillan enjoys it." She curtsied and hurried out of the room, leaving Killian alone with his adoring wife.
Ignoring all propriety he pointed at her, having used up all his restraint on asking for a fresh pot calmly. "You unfold my marks and you intentionally order tea I dislike!"