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Post by Madeleine Baudelaire&Russ Ford on Aug 25, 2007 21:34:20 GMT
Madeleine paced up and down the front of the Battle Training room, trying to clear her mind. This was what she had to do. For this, she had to take on her role as Head, so anything that was annoying or worrying her had to be shaken off so she could be Madeleine, Head of the Warriors, instead of ... just Madeleine. Unfortunately, what was worrying her now was the look on Kira's face yesterday as she left. Because Madeleine wasn't sure what she had done, or why what she had said had upset Kira. Whatever, now wasn't the time to think about it. And Lee wasn't going to be there, anyway. She didn't think Kira would bring him, anyway. She stopped pacing and focused on clearing her mind, trying to erase the look on Kira's face from her mind. And there it was. She was calm, cool, and collected, ready to go. Until she saw Kira and Lee walk through the doors. She walked over, and turned to Lee. "What are you doing here?" she asked, surprised.
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Post by Kira & Lee Norris on Aug 26, 2007 11:38:11 GMT
By now, any exhaustion Lee had felt had completely melted away, and it'd been replaced by a tense excitement. Now, it was his chance to fight; and his chance to... be something. Do something. And he knew Kira was the same. Waiting and watching wasn't enough. They were both part of this war, so they might as well act like it. Funny thing was... he hadn't been to one of these meetings since last year, with the previous Head of the Spies. Kira hadn't held any of these- but he knew for a fact Madeleine had held loads. He'd just learned to accept it, and go along with the flow of it. The war came first. Their relationship came later. Great. There was that word again- 'relationship'. What- sarcasm-and-punch partner? Or was the word buddy? Old chum? One whom he happened to like kissing. Ok, ok, reverse for a second... a friend who he snogged? That wasn't a friend. That was... girlfriend. So Madeleine was his girlfriend. Right? Gee. Madeleine was his girlfriend. But did she know that? That was just Madeleine. They usually just... talked and joked. They just were. Or was he now just confusing himself? That's what girlfriends and boyfriends did. Laughed and talked. Joked and laughed. And kissed. So... logically, she must know that they were technically 'going out'. But... had either of them ever actually said it aloud? For the most part, Lee just liked to be careful. He just... moved with the flow of things. It usually worked quite well too, and he ended up in a alot of fun, casual relationships. And... whenever it came to that time that'll either make or break your relationship, if there was something more- great! And if not? Well... better luck next time; kiss on cheek; say goodbye- and of course we can still be friends! The problem was, with Madeleine, he didn't want to just... 'go with the flow'. He wanted to go forward in leaps and bounds. He wanted to skip out all of the uncertainty, and volatility of it, and just go to something... stable. Something he knew would last. "Ready, Lee?" Kira was watching him with those strange eyes of hers; the pale blue ones you could never quite read. With her, you were staring through a fog. Even now, she still managed to... confuse him. Like today, when she kissed him, and told him she loved him. It was a fact. He didn't need to be told, because he knew. But... it was important to her, in her own way. So he'd given her the appropriate answer. He smiled at her, and nodded. "I'm ready." She grinned back, with that same look of excited nervousness. Lee himself felt a little jumpy. It just wasn't coming quick enough. Kira turned away, and pulled open the door, revealing a long hall filled with... wow! How many people are here? Suddenly, Madeleine emerged from it before them, looking a little shocked at the sight of them. It was the expression he usually imagined on her face if he ever felt the urge to be a little adventurous and dye his hair ginger. It was a good way of keeping him in line. Madeleine turned to him, completely ignoring Kira. "What are you doing here?" Lee frowned. "I'm... here with Kira. Battle training at two, right?"
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Post by Madeleine Baudelaire&Russ Ford on Aug 26, 2007 12:31:21 GMT
Self-control. It was something that Madeleine prided herself on. Not to sound boastful or anything, but she was pretty good at controlling her emotions. She chose what to show and what not to show. For example, while she might be in turmoil inside, she never cried. She gave up crying with babyfood. And she was pretty good at keeping her temper. She didn't lash out, she was cool and calm, when she was boiling over with anger inside. Usually she saved it up and made a sarcastic insult later. So she was now using her self-control to not glare angrliy at Kira. She'd really thought that Kira wouldn't bring Lee along. She didn't know why it was such a big deal, but she didn't want him to come. She didn't want him there in a battle with her. Was it because he'd distract her? He might. She might not be able to fully concentrate on the battle at hand if he was there. His presence would distract her, because she'd be worrying... Worrying about what? People die in battles, Madeleine knew that. But she was letting her friends fight; why not Lee? "Training at two for Kira," she said, slowly and reluctantly. "Kira's here because she's Head, and she's filling the gap left by Ollie, since he can't fight at the minute." Ouch. She was a liar, a filthy liar. But her self-control was keeping her from telling the truth.
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Post by Kira & Lee Norris on Aug 26, 2007 15:23:08 GMT
His frown deepened. He already knew where this was going to go, and he also knew what he was going to say. Lee didn't much like arguments, but when they were forced upon him... well, he wasn't about to take it lying down. However, Kira leapt in before him. "No, Madeleine, anyone can come. It's their choice; even if you are Head." Lee felt a sudden surge of affection for Kira. Perhaps she would spare him this...
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Post by Madeleine Baudelaire&Russ Ford on Aug 26, 2007 15:29:46 GMT
Madeleine frowned. d**n, this wasn't going to be made easy for her... She didn't want to argue with either Lee or Kira, but if that was what it was going to take, then she was up for it. Lee wouldn't be joining the Warriors if she could help it. "I... that's only in an actual battle; in an emergency," she shot back. "Like going to get Macy, we didn't have enough notice. It's not the same, this time. And I'd prefer it if more people didn't put themselves in danger needlessly."
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Post by Kira & Lee Norris on Aug 26, 2007 15:34:08 GMT
"It's Battle Training. Hardly dangerous," Kira frowned at Madeleine; a strange frown Lee had felt sure he'd seen there before. There was definitely something defiant about the way she was glowering at her. "She's right," he shrugged half-heartedly. "I mean, I know what you're saying but... well, shouldn't we be prepared for emergencies?" "Exactly!" cried Kira, a triumphant smile spreading over her face. "I'm preparing. Why can't Lee? Everybody should be given that chance."
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Post by Madeleine Baudelaire&Russ Ford on Aug 26, 2007 15:37:08 GMT
"I... That wasn't what I was talking about!" Madeleine stammered, flustered. "It's not the training that's dangerous, I meant that people shouldn't be fighting unless they have to! It's different for the Warriors, we have to do this. You don't. You shouldn't be risking your life in my group when you're going to be risking it in yours as well!"
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Post by Kira & Lee Norris on Aug 26, 2007 15:42:53 GMT
Was is just him, or were things getting hot in here? Kira opened her mouth, but he quickly elbowed her in the side. She bit her tongue, turned to glare at him. "Oh, what?! You're going to let her just kick you out?" "No, I'm not," he said calmly. Temper control had never been one of Kira's strong points. "Madeleine, can I speak to you over there for a moment?" Without waiting for an answer, Lee quickly took her arm and led in through the crowd, weaving his way in and out of the different happily chatting Warriors. They eyed him curiously as they passed; many probably recognising him as either the four-time chess champion and cousin of Head of the Spies. "Right," he said quietly, as soon as they were as far away as possible from Kira. "Sorry about that. She'll just get a bit... um... OTT if I let her continue. Look- Madeleine, I'm going to fight."
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Post by Madeleine Baudelaire&Russ Ford on Aug 26, 2007 15:50:12 GMT
Madeleine glanced around at the staring Warriors and took her arm out of Lee's grip. "No, you're not. I'm not letting you risk your life like this. I didn't even want to take Kira on, until... why do you want to do it?! Why do you want to fight?"
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Post by Kira & Lee Norris on Aug 26, 2007 15:57:27 GMT
"Why do I want to do this?" Lee couldn't help but feel a little stunned. Didn't Madeleine know about their family? Hadn't Kira told her... anything? At all? But maybe that wasn't Kira's job. Maybe it was his. His responsibility. But... he didn't want to. He didn't know how to explain it all. And there it was; swelling before him like some giant, dark monster. It could hear it jeering him now; like a little humming in his ear... He couldn't do it. Not now. "To be part of this war, and fight the fight," he mumbled.
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Post by Madeleine Baudelaire&Russ Ford on Aug 26, 2007 16:22:36 GMT
"To be part of this war, and fight the fight." For a moment, Madeleine couldn't help but feel a definite sense of anit-climax. She had thought that there would be some big, important reason for Lee to fight, like Kira and her aunt. And the excuse he'd given? No. It wasn't good enough. She shook her. "I'm sorry. No. That's not a good enough excuse for you to possibly... die." The thought was horrible, but she had to say it. "Everyone in this room," she continued. "Has some big, maybe even huge reason to fight against this enemy. Reasons that are too horrible to talk about. Wanting to 'fight the fight'... well, it's not good enough for me, Lee. I'm sorry." Now she was feeling slightly guilty. He did want to fight, and now she was the big bad wolfish girlfriend, trying to force him not to do what he wanted. Was it selfish, that she didn't want him to fight? She didn't know. All she knew was that she couldn't let him. Period.
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Post by Kira & Lee Norris on Aug 26, 2007 16:25:39 GMT
Lee felt a spark of Kira flicker within him. So... what she was saying was that you couldn't fight if you didn't have some traumatic reason attatched to you- like some gruesome label? That wasn't fair. That stopped a lot of people from fighting- who indeed, wanted to just fight the fight. What was wrong with just wanting to fight the fight anyway? To step in, do your part, and help stop the war before it destroys your life too?! Just say it, Lee. Explain yourself to her. "I want to help stop it," he said, with a slightly stronger voice. "I want to- I have to because..." Words failed him once more, so he cast around and landed on half a reason. "... Because of Kira, and her aunt."
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Post by Madeleine Baudelaire&Russ Ford on Aug 26, 2007 16:34:32 GMT
Madeleine closed her eyes briefly. She had made it sound like you could only fight if something bad had happened to you that made you angry, when that wasn't true. It wasn't what she meant. But the truth was, every argument she came up with, he would always have an answer. Come on, this was Lee. Lee was smart. In a logical argument, there was a good chance he'd wipe the floor with her. And Madeleine's logic and reason were going down a slippery slope... "Look, Lee... I'm sorry about that; truly, I am. But that's why Kira is here. Kira is risking her life for it. I know it's a reason, but... I can't let you fight Lee, I'm sorry, but I just can't." Logic failed.
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Post by Kira & Lee Norris on Aug 26, 2007 16:39:41 GMT
"But that's not your decision to make," he said, any warmth in his tone fading fast now, replaced by something much cooler. He recognised it well. He spoke like this when he played chess. What a funny habit of his- his logic voice as Kira would call it. Chess... ha! He sounded so geeky through that... He'd hit on something good here. Technically, Madeleine didn't have much control over him. She was certainly a figure of authority, but she was not the one he answered to. She was a Warrior, and he was a Spy. And if he was a Spy... "I only answer to my Head, and that's Kira," he replied, slipping his hand into his pocket and crossing his fingers. "And she doesn't have a problem with me fighting. She told me about this place- she suggested it."
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Post by Madeleine Baudelaire&Russ Ford on Aug 26, 2007 16:46:33 GMT
Registering the coolness in his voice, Madeleine inwardly flinched, but started to use her 'Head' voice. Cold, collected, and with authority."So, if you only answer to Kira, anything I say on any subject won't matter?" She wasn't exactly sure where she stood with Lee, if she was honest. Was she his girlfriend? Or was she just a 'mate' who he liked to kiss? A 'friend with benefits'? She wasn't sure, but even so, she felt that sometimes, he should listen to her. Although, saying what she had just said was really because she didn't have an answer to his cool use of logic. And this would hopefully throw him, if only a little.
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