Enter the Matriarch
The cruel smirk slipped only a fraction before dropping into a tight lipped frown. Valais lost herself for a moment. She needed to remember the real reason she  came all the way out here. As a faculty member of Crocker Institute, she had a duty to uphold the school’s values. Even if it means sweeping various incidents under the rug while the rule breakers get stern slap on the wrist in the form of a warning. She softly cleared her throat, a small and demure sound, and clasped her hands together in front of her.
“Aradia Megido, I am here to discuss your behavior at the event the other night. I don’t think I need to remind you that Crocker Institute is an elite establishment with an impeccable reputation. Events such as that are not acceptable and if word got out, the school could lose a lot of support from very. very important people. Do you understand?” Full on faculty mode activated, as though talking to a small child and not her own fully grown daughter. “I also don’t have to remind you that you do not come from money like the other students. You are in a very precarious position as this school. You could be expelled and I, fired.” Her eyes flicked to Aradia’s hand over her abdomen and remembered the days she spent bent over the hospital bed praying she wouldn’t lose someone else. She remember staying by her side as long as she could, but the bill wasn’t going to pay itself. Her children really were so ungrateful. “Are you okay?” she choked out.
“My behavior at the event?” Aradia replied in confusion, trying to recall if she had done anything that would warrent punishment either by her mother or Crocker Institute’s discipinary forces. Running through everything that happened last night, she tried to figure out what Valais might be angry over. Aradia had a few drinks, but she was legally of age, so that wasn’t an issue. While parties weren’t officially allowed, they were never an issue and both faculty and staff from Crocker Institute had been there as well. She had not been a part of the great Shriek fiasco, in fact, a teacher had been behind that plan and Eridan had shot it with rubber bullets, which were allowed on campus. She had flirted rather heavily with the sharp shooter, but there was no way she had broken any rules there.Â
Narrowing her eyes as her mother continued talking, she shot back. “And might I remind you that you have absolutely no say in my education. I am here on a full academic scholarship, I keep my grades well above the grade point requirement to maintain my scholarship and work even more than the requried hours at my on campus job. You have not had to lift a finger for me here and I would prefer to keep it that way. Besides our tie through last name, my actions have no reflection on yours. I am legally an adult. If you wanted to mother me, well you had eighteen, nearly nineteen years to give that a go.” Her voice was deadpan, staring cooly into the elder Megido’s eyes. “I am fine, you do not have to worry about any unfortunate accidents, you will not be getting any grandchildren, at least out of me.”Â
“The Crocker Institute is an elite establishment for the finest and the brightest. Royalty and higher ups across the universe are lining up and paying out the ass just so their idiot children can say they attended even one class.” Valais scowled deeply and pinched the bridge of her nose. “In addition to academics, CI has to also rely on it’s spotless image to keep people coming,” she scoffed.”Before I go and sweep everything under the rug, someone needs to be an example for the other students, someone who can’t pay their way out of a bind.”Â
“Your grades may be good enough to attend but I can see you’re still naive about how this world works.” Valais decided to ignore her offsprings cold tone and reached up with her and to gently touch Aradia’s cheek. She stroked her cheek with her thumb. This child knew nothing of the sacrifices she had to make on her behalf. “You stupid girl...There are other consequences that result from sex than just pregnancy. Sexually transmitted diseases perhaps? And before you tell me he’s clean, I can’t know that for sure.” She ignored the comment about grandchildren as well. She didn’t care about them one way or another. A cruel part of her wanted to dump the rest of her debt on Aradia, what with her being a legal adult and all.










