texts from last night

[preternaturalist]

y'all know what to do

Comments

[diggingupdirt]

Yeah. You almost have to laugh so you don't cry.

[ Or at least, that's how she approaches these things. ]

Never thought I'd live to see the day that story got topped. It's impressive in its own terrifying way.

[scions]

What better way to fill an uncomfortable silence than a few laughs?

[ She grimaces before shaking her head. ]

I'm honestly impressed on top of disturbed. Then again, I really probably shouldn't be that surprised.

[diggingupdirt]

How did it even come up? Like did he just bust out with this story, or was there some "here let me share some trauma with you" bonding or what?

[scions]

More the latter? I joked about seeing some weird shit, which isn't wrong considering past events, but then he launched into. That.

[ Yeah, the memory's definitely giving her reason to take a long drink. ]

[diggingupdirt]

It's not wrong at all, but... shit. Now I'm scared to ever bring that up myself, in case I get some traumatizing story.

[ She's all for hearing about weird shit considering the things she's lived but. But. Not like that. ]

[scions]

I'm pretty sure it was a weird exception? Maybe? Probably.

[ Madsen presses her lips in a thin line after the fact, grimacing before going for another drink. Thank fuck for enhanced healing and alcohol tolerance. ]

[diggingupdirt]

[ Olivia wishes she had those things. They'd sure come in handy. As she does not: ]

I hope it was. It better be. I can't have my days of telling stories about weird shit curtailed for fear of being traumatized by someone's over the top misadventures.

[scions]

Well, hopefully most people either don't have anything that bad or are at least, y'know, actually tactful about it.

[ Then again that might just be her being too hopeful. ]

Hopefully.

[diggingupdirt]

Hopefully.

...Maybe we're giving this too much attention.

[ She's totally superstitious, worried about manifesting something like this for herself if she's not careful. ]

I served someone with papers today and I didn't have them take a swing at me? I feel like I'm moving up in the world.

[scions]

Probably.

[ She grimaces. ]

But hey, that's a good start! It's just an unfortunate side-effect of the job.

[diggingupdirt]

My mom wonders why I didn't choose a job where people would be happy to see me.

[ She shakes her head, wry. ]

And give up all this excitement?

[scions]

Never a dull moment, that's for sure.

[ Madsen flashes a grin. ]

She not a huge fan of you striking it out as an investigator?

[diggingupdirt]

[ She sighs, slightly exasperated, though it's also shot through with affection. ]

I love my mom. I do. But it's like...

I have three older brothers. One's an assistant district attorney, one's a doctor, the third one runs a community service agency, a nonprofit. All [ Two fingers lift away from her glass, curling a couple of times, forming half-hearted air quotes, ] respectable jobs.

When I started she thought I'd joined one of the gangs and was shaking people down for money. Now it's, why don't you get a [ there go her fingers again ] respectable job, or, god help me, why don't you get married so I can stop worrying about you.

[scions]

Yeah, that sounds a little familiar.

[ Madsen looks away for a moment, her expression sobering up for a bit before she starts tracing the rim of her glass again. ]

Mine wasn't too thrilled when she found out I was jumping back into things so quick after nearly [ legitimately ] getting killed a couple years back. I get why she's worried, considering certain events, but at the same time, it's ... frustrating. Especially when I feel like I'm actually making a difference.

[diggingupdirt]

I'm sorry about that, and glad you're still here.

[ She sighs, picking up her drink. ]

Moms are gonna be moms, right? What can you do? Though sometimes I wish they'd calm down just a little.

[scions]

S'fine. I'd like to think I've moved on since then, and bright side, things did turn out for the better.

[ By way of the guy who did it ending up being killed shortly after that whole stunt, but she'll leave that part out for now. ]

Think it's something in the mom handbook or something - "fret over your daughter's lives, especially if she starts getting into non-conventional fields of work". Probably a subset about meddling in love lives, too. [ She strokes her chin in thought before shaking her head and taking another drink. ]

[diggingupdirt]

God, the meddling in love lives. [ She huffs out a breath. ]

Does your mom immediately size up any man she hears about or meets that knows you that's between, like, 20 and 50 years old?

[scions]

Preeeeetty much. Which especially sucks when you tend to have a lot of guy friends anyway for whatever reason. It's like - Mom, no, these guys are like brothers and I'd rather not kiss a sibling. Gross.

[diggingupdirt]

Super gross. Not every man you meet has to be considered for marriage material.

[scions]

Yuuuuup, definitely know that feeling.

[ She raises her glass. ]

To solidarity in surviving meddling mothers.

[diggingupdirt]

Hear, hear.

...You ever see yourself doing anything else? A different career? Because I don't. That's what she and I stumble on, sometimes, that I won't just up and change my job.

[scions]

Not really. Even if it's not exactly this, it'd be something similar.

Probably could chalk that up to too much like my dad, honestly. He laughed and wanted to take me out for drinks after he and mom found out. Granted that also devolved into a "be careful" speech, but it was less fretting over me and more making sure I learned from his mistakes.

[diggingupdirt]

Did you feel like that made it easier, because he had that similar experience, so at least there was a frame of reference?

[scions]

Yeah, I think so.

[ She idly bites her lip in thought before letting out a long exhale. ]

And I get that I'm lucky in getting that support, I can't deny that. I dunno. Might be making it sound more complicated than it probably is.

[diggingupdirt]

It is good that you have it. I think when there's some common understanding about what you do, it's easier.

My second oldest brother, the one that's the attorney, I think he gets what I do more than the other two, and definitely more than my parents or grandma. I think it's hard for my parents too because there's no, like... outward signs of success? If that makes sense? Like my brother the doctor got his medical degree, my brother the lawyer wins in court, my brother the nonprofit guy can show the work he's done in the community. Mine's more secretive, it's hard to show my parents I'm doing well too.