Work Text:
Madeleine walked solemnly, really playing up the role of the grief-ridden wife that she was to play today. While she was excited to finally have a place to rest her head at dawn, it felt bizarre to pretend she was a soon-to-be-widow of a sickly husband when in reality she wanted to skip down the rows of coffins. She was excited to have her first one. It felt like a mark of truly accepting her vampiric life now.
Claudia was playing her part as well as the sick daughter. This was how they'd planned to get their new safe havens for daytime resting.
"Ma," Claudia called. Madeleine resisted the urge to cringe at the term.
"Yes?" Madeleine replied as she rounded the corner to find Claudia examining a coffin made of a burgundy-stained wood. Or maybe it was naturally that color, Madeleine didn't know. Her specialty was in fashion, not lumber.
"What about this one? For Pa?"
Madeleine studied the coffin. It was lined with white satin and had a lacey trim around the edges of the material. It was perfect for her.
"This one's lovely," Madeleine said to the worker who had been shadowing the two of them.
"This one is one of our more...feminine styles, ma'am. If I could make a recommendation-"
"No thank you," Madeleine cut him off. "My husband loves this color, and the lace would well suit him."
The man seemed to realize he was telling a supposed wife of a dying man how to honor him, so he backed down with a nod. "Quite lovely then, indeed."
"I'll take this one along with the other for-" A fake sniffle. "Well, the other one we discussed."
The man nodded again, his head basically bobbling. He led her and Claudia to the counter to make their purchase. Madeleine left their details for a home delivery of the coffins.
"Thank you for your help," Madeleine said as she stuck out her hand to him.
He shook her hand more gently than she would've liked, for respect reasons. She knew that meant she was lesser in his eyes because of her gender. But she decided it wasn't worth a fight.
"I can't imagine being in your shoes. If there's anything we can do to ease this process, please reach out."
Madeleine nodded and released his weak grip. Then, she grabbed Claudia's hand instead as they walked side by side out of the store.
Once they were down the block far enough the worker couldn't see them from the window, Claudia gave her hand a squeeze as a grin spread across her face.
"I'd be glad to never do that again," Madeleine said.
"Aw, come one. Isn't lying to humans at least a little fun for you?"
Madeleine shrugged. "A little, but I'd rather not pretend to have birthed you."
Claudia giggled, and Madeleine couldn't help but laugh with her.
"Fine, next time we're doomed lovers that met in the hospital."
"Better than hearing you call me 'Ma.'"
They continued to laugh and joke on their way back to their new American home, and Madeleine found she had little to actually complain about. She had Claudia by her side, and that's all she needed.
But the new coffin would be a nice addition.