(no subject)
Maldicta was chasing Olivia around the house. Admittedly, she was doing so rather languidly, since Olivia's crawl was hardly speedy. It wasn't especially coordinated, either, but Maladicta was sure this was just the girl's father coming through, and she would grow out of it quickly.
"All right," she said, standing and leaning down to scoop the baby- almost a year, all the Gods and Nuggan and the Duchess preserve her- up.
"We're all very impressed." Shenlong, never absent from Olivia's side, which Maladicta could appreciate, turned his head to one side.
"See? Even the wunderhund over there." Olivia babbled at the wolf for a moment then giggled.
"Something funny?" Maladicta said, her own mouth quirking up into a smile. Sometimes, when Olivia was lying down, Maladicta would poke her with her index finger. Olivia would laugh. Maladicta found this endlessly amusing. When her daughter laughed, in fact, it had the tendency to make Maladicta laugh as well. She wondered why that was.
"Care to share what's so terribly amusing?" she said, settling Olivia into her crib.
"Nooooh cahmmen," Olivia babbled. Maladicta paused. She looked to where William was sitting, out on the porch, then back down at the baby.
"....what?" she said. Olivia put her foot in her mouth. Maladicta removed it.
"No no. What did you say?"
Olivia giggled.
"Olivia," Maladicta said firmly. "Olivia." She put her palm flat on the little girl's stomach and wiggled it. Olivia made a happy noise.
"What did you say?" Maladicta said, pitching her voice low. Olivia grabbed at her toes some more, then grabbed at Maladicta's fingers.
"Nooh cahmdemnpppt." Maladicta stared for a moment, then lifted her head.
"William, would you come over here for a moment, please?"
"All right," she said, standing and leaning down to scoop the baby- almost a year, all the Gods and Nuggan and the Duchess preserve her- up.
"We're all very impressed." Shenlong, never absent from Olivia's side, which Maladicta could appreciate, turned his head to one side.
"See? Even the wunderhund over there." Olivia babbled at the wolf for a moment then giggled.
"Something funny?" Maladicta said, her own mouth quirking up into a smile. Sometimes, when Olivia was lying down, Maladicta would poke her with her index finger. Olivia would laugh. Maladicta found this endlessly amusing. When her daughter laughed, in fact, it had the tendency to make Maladicta laugh as well. She wondered why that was.
"Care to share what's so terribly amusing?" she said, settling Olivia into her crib.
"Nooooh cahmmen," Olivia babbled. Maladicta paused. She looked to where William was sitting, out on the porch, then back down at the baby.
"....what?" she said. Olivia put her foot in her mouth. Maladicta removed it.
"No no. What did you say?"
Olivia giggled.
"Olivia," Maladicta said firmly. "Olivia." She put her palm flat on the little girl's stomach and wiggled it. Olivia made a happy noise.
"What did you say?" Maladicta said, pitching her voice low. Olivia grabbed at her toes some more, then grabbed at Maladicta's fingers.
"Nooh cahmdemnpppt." Maladicta stared for a moment, then lifted her head.
"William, would you come over here for a moment, please?"