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Description
Zidian sighs and watches his daughter leave. He stares at his computer screen, but can't find the concentration anymore to work. When he hears the front door slam shut, he decides to go see his wife. Downstairs he finds her; She wears red costume trousers, black high heels, a blue button-down shirt with rolled up sleeves, and red suspenders. Her costume jacket lies folded over a chair, and on her shoulder sits the taxidermy crow she lovingly calls "Iracebeth". On the steel kitchen table lie the remains of what once was a rabbit, taken apart like a broken radio, its pieces spread on a number of stainless steel dishes. Agnes softly hums a tune and doesn't hear her husband approach. A smile creeps on Zidian's face when he sneaks up behind her and pokes her in the side. She screams it out.
'Waah! Zidian!'
'You're still as easy to creep up on as when I first met you…'
Agnes grins widely and kisses her husband, still holding a bloody scalpel. She immediately notices something is wrong when he tenses up. Agnes lets go of him and puts the scalpel aside.
'What's wrong dear?'
'Erato came to see me.'
Agnes sighs.
'I… I don't know what was wrong! She came in, she saw me, and she practically stormed away before I could even say hi to her! I didn't do anything, I swear!'
Agnes can look terribly sweet and innocent when she wants to. Zidian wraps his arms around her.
'I know that, Agnie… I know. But there is something we have to talk about.'
He carefully removes "Iracebeth" from his wife's shoulder, and takes Agnes to the living room.
'She is ashamed of you.'
Agnes looks up, her blue eyes full of a sudden sadness.
'B-but… why?'
Zidian sighs. He wonders if she'll understand.
'She wants you to be normal. Like everyone else.'
Agnes stares at him with big eyes, and then suddenly bursts out laughing.
'That… that was a joke, right? You really had me there! Normal, me? Come on!'
Zidian shakes his head.
'I'm serious, Agnes. She is really… If you don't do something now, you'll… you'll lose her.'
'Lose… her? But…' Agnes stares at her feet, feeling sick all of a sudden.
'I tried so hard to be a good parent, Zidian… I… I should have known it wouldn't work out, right from the start… I…'
'Agnes, control yourself.'
'Control myself, Zidian? I never STOP controlling myself! Don't you… don't you even see? I wanted to be a good mother for her; I tried to be the mother I never had!'
Zidian thinks back of Agnes' mother, Iratia. She had been harsh but honest, with a strong moral compass and still a whole lot of compassion. A rigid but trustworthy woman, the kind you would trust with your life if necessary. Not that Agnes would have done so, ever… But still.
'You and Erato are different people, Agnie. The mother you wanted may not be the same as the one she needs right now.'
'But what do you suggest I do then? I can't be my mother, I never could! I am who I am, and I… I wanted my children to grow up with the feeling they don't have to adhere to norms and values, that they can be whoever they like, that there is no good and evil, that misery can be hilarious, that… I wanted them to grow up to be free spirits. Free, without society's girdle restraining them.'
'I know that's what you tried, Agnes. But society is all around them, they see what others do, and… don't you remember what you were like at that age? You told me about how lost you were, how different from everyone else, while all you wanted was to fit in. That's how Erato feels, and you make her feel like an outcast.'
'I felt different and alone because there was no one who accepted me. There was no one who understood me. I thought I was doing something wrong, Zidian, and even my parents made me feel like that. I promised myself I'd never do that. I never wanted to give my children the idea that they aren't good enough the way they were. Erato can always count on me; I would do anything to protect her. Anything.'
'Like threatening an eleven-year-old with a switchblade?'
'I hate bullies. If it weren't for the little ones that were watching I would have killed them on the spot. I wish someone would have done that for me.'
Agnes looks at her husband.
'Back in the days, I wanted my bullies to suffer, but I was too small and too weak to take care of that myself. I didn't have a mother who would take care of it. My parents called the school, yes, but that never changed anything. And even if the kids stopped bullying me, it wasn't enough. They were never punished the way they had to be. I thought… I thought Erato would appreciate what I did for her.'

Description
Zidian sighs and watches his daughter leave. He stares at his computer screen, but can't find the concentration anymore to work. When he hears the front door slam shut, he decides to go see his wife. Downstairs he finds her; She wears red costume trousers, black high heels, a blue button-down shirt with rolled up sleeves, and red suspenders. Her costume jacket lies folded over a chair, and on her shoulder sits the taxidermy crow she lovingly calls "Iracebeth". On the steel kitchen table lie the remains of what once was a rabbit, taken apart like a broken radio, its pieces spread on a number of stainless steel dishes. Agnes softly hums a tune and doesn't hear her husband approach. A smile creeps on Zidian's face when he sneaks up behind her and pokes her in the side. She screams it out.
'Waah! Zidian!'
'You're still as easy to creep up on as when I first met you…'
Agnes grins widely and kisses her husband, still holding a bloody scalpel. She immediately notices something is wrong when he tenses up. Agnes lets go of him and puts the scalpel aside.
'What's wrong dear?'
'Erato came to see me.'
Agnes sighs.
'I… I don't know what was wrong! She came in, she saw me, and she practically stormed away before I could even say hi to her! I didn't do anything, I swear!'
Agnes can look terribly sweet and innocent when she wants to. Zidian wraps his arms around her.
'I know that, Agnie… I know. But there is something we have to talk about.'
He carefully removes "Iracebeth" from his wife's shoulder, and takes Agnes to the living room.
'She is ashamed of you.'
Agnes looks up, her blue eyes full of a sudden sadness.
'B-but… why?'
Zidian sighs. He wonders if she'll understand.
'She wants you to be normal. Like everyone else.'
Agnes stares at him with big eyes, and then suddenly bursts out laughing.
'That… that was a joke, right? You really had me there! Normal, me? Come on!'
Zidian shakes his head.
'I'm serious, Agnes. She is really… If you don't do something now, you'll… you'll lose her.'
'Lose… her? But…' Agnes stares at her feet, feeling sick all of a sudden.
'I tried so hard to be a good parent, Zidian… I… I should have known it wouldn't work out, right from the start… I…'
'Agnes, control yourself.'
'Control myself, Zidian? I never STOP controlling myself! Don't you… don't you even see? I wanted to be a good mother for her; I tried to be the mother I never had!'
Zidian thinks back of Agnes' mother, Iratia. She had been harsh but honest, with a strong moral compass and still a whole lot of compassion. A rigid but trustworthy woman, the kind you would trust with your life if necessary. Not that Agnes would have done so, ever… But still.
'You and Erato are different people, Agnie. The mother you wanted may not be the same as the one she needs right now.'
'But what do you suggest I do then? I can't be my mother, I never could! I am who I am, and I… I wanted my children to grow up with the feeling they don't have to adhere to norms and values, that they can be whoever they like, that there is no good and evil, that misery can be hilarious, that… I wanted them to grow up to be free spirits. Free, without society's girdle restraining them.'
'I know that's what you tried, Agnes. But society is all around them, they see what others do, and… don't you remember what you were like at that age? You told me about how lost you were, how different from everyone else, while all you wanted was to fit in. That's how Erato feels, and you make her feel like an outcast.'
'I felt different and alone because there was no one who accepted me. There was no one who understood me. I thought I was doing something wrong, Zidian, and even my parents made me feel like that. I promised myself I'd never do that. I never wanted to give my children the idea that they aren't good enough the way they were. Erato can always count on me; I would do anything to protect her. Anything.'
'Like threatening an eleven-year-old with a switchblade?'
'I hate bullies. If it weren't for the little ones that were watching I would have killed them on the spot. I wish someone would have done that for me.'
Agnes looks at her husband.
'Back in the days, I wanted my bullies to suffer, but I was too small and too weak to take care of that myself. I didn't have a mother who would take care of it. My parents called the school, yes, but that never changed anything. And even if the kids stopped bullying me, it wasn't enough. They were never punished the way they had to be. I thought… I thought Erato would appreciate what I did for her.'