Stone: Aftermath

[aldersprig]

This comes after King(maker) Cake, King for a Day, and After the Kinging.
👑
“I would ask your sister to borrow her necklace some day. Or her cat. There are worse things the family can do to you than kick you out or bind your power, and they have done them all at one point or another.”

Stone chewed over those words for a week before he let himself even think about doing anything about them.

It wasn’t like he didn’t have other things to think about. Classes were back in session, he still had a few relatives hassling him about the trinket he’d gotten in his muffin, and something over the Christmas break - he hoped it wasn’t the rabbit trinket, really, really hoped it wasn’t - had gotten him a little more attention in school than he normally had, or than he felt comfortable with.

Jenny Connor had literally followed him home from school the other day! She’d been talking to Chalce, so he hadn’t noticed she was even on the bus - his sister was popular, even if she didn’t drive to school; she was always talking to someone - and tried to follow him into his room.

Chalce had put a stop to that and sent Jenny away, but it didn’t leave Stone feeling particularly sanguine about school.

It took a week for all that to die down - or at least, for his sisters to run enough interference that it looked like it had died down. In that time, Julie Fenway had stopped talking to him, which… he probably should have expected, all things considered, but just left him grumpy and not willing to talk to anyone female.

He didn’t so much decide to ask Beryl as decide it was a good way to get rid of her quickly when she showed up in the doorway to his room. It wasn’t the nicest thought… but he’d really hoped he had a chance with Julie, and now she wouldn’t even answer his texts.

“Hey,” Beryl tried. He knew he’d been snotty lately, but Stone couldn’t bring himself to say more than “hey.”

“Is there anything I can…” She shrugged awkwardly.

“Actually… Aunt Rosaria said I should talk to your necklace. And, uh. Your cat.”

“I can’t guarantee anything from Radar, but I can bring Joseph over.” She squinted at him. “Is Aunt Rosaria threatening you?”

“Threatening? No. I - I don’t think so. She said she’d teach me.” Stone wrinkled his nose. “I don’t know, but I think she’s worried about the rest of the family threatening me.”

“Screw ‘em.” Beryl frowned fiercely. “If they want to threaten my brother, they have to go through me first.”

Stone didn’t have the heart to tell her exactly how un-intimidating that was.



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Comments

[lilfluff]

Probably a good idea Stone. Don't upset sisters. *Rubs a phantom sore spot* Especially the slow to anger ones.

[aldersprig]

*grins*

The magical slow-to-anger one, too.

[inventrix]

I feel like the grannies are trying to get him distracted and married off ASAP with those girl shenanigans.

[aldersprig]

<.

[inventrix]

Ooh, I'm close! That means I'm close, doesn't it? 8D

[aldersprig]

Rather, yes :-D

[kailing]

ah! that makes sense. i had wondered.

[sauergeek]

Willard and now Stone both with substantial spark. The Aunt and at least one of the grannies willing to run with it. I foresee upheaval in the family if the usual consequence doesn't happen to Stone (i.e., married off with kids) and there's no successful attempt at the Willard-style banishment (which I can't see Eva going along with, and which Rosaria will certainly oppose).

Dear Stone: congratulations, it seems that you and Beryl will be living in interesting times.

I'm still curious what Radar and the necklace will say. I'm glad that Beryl is on Stone's side, despite him being snotty, and that he's getting support from Chalcedony as well. His mom seems less useful, but she's a family insider, and knows how things have gone in the past. I think she's mostly trying to protect him rather than overturn the usual order of things.

Stone's dad may prove quite useful as an outsider -- especially if he realizes that he got reeled in, only to see the family trying to de-power a son with power that is almost certainly in part his genetics as well.

[kelkyag]

Being a father does not seem to've stopped Willard from being a wizard, though given that his wife and children have left, he may have paid insufficient attention to the former while pursing the latter. :(

... and I can't currently remember whether Rosaria has children of her own, or just nieces and nephews. Must look up!

[aldersprig]

Rosaria at the very least has listed grandchildren from the story-telling series. :-)

[kelkyag]

Waitwaitwait. Is Stone interested in Basil's daughter Samantha, or in Julie Fenway? Or are both of those potential romances sufficiently embryonic as to be no conflict? Considering possibilities, however shyly, is probably better than one hopeless crush.

Stone didn’t have the heart to tell her exactly how un-intimidating that was.
Stone has perhaps not yet noticed her recent research project and how much practice she's getting at stonewalling people ...

<warm fuzzies> The immediate situation is lousy, but I think they're still on the same team and will come out of it stronger.

ETA: I suspect Lam would eventually do well to have her own witch. I wonder whether (she would think) Stone was a good choice ... or if she'd rather be further from Radar. (Also more please on *their* thread ...)

[aldersprig]

Stone, being a teenage boy, has plenty of interests, and being rather retiring by family training… isn’t so good at going after them.

And yes, he’s not quite aware of how good his sister’s goten.

Hrrm. Shall have to see what’s up in my brain with Lam. :-)

[kelkyag]

While that is within the teenage boy stereotype, it isn't necessarily true of all teenage boys, and no such rumors had turned up around Stone before the conversation with Aunt Rosaria. (Sowing wild oats when you know full well your family would be entirely willing to let (or even encourage) you (to) get some girl pregnant, marry you off young, and keep you too busy dealing with supporting and raising kids to think encourages some early second thoughts, yes. Good.)

Lam! I wonder what she's getting into while Radar and Beryl are hunting for information in Aunt Bea's attic. And whether she wants them to find it or not -- she might know what it is, given her mention of reading the book?

[aldersprig]

Well, to be fair, we haven’t seen Stone from his own head before, and he’s very quiet around his family.

But yes, I do think he has several interests.

I’d have to reread everything Lam-related, since it’s been quite a while.

[kelkyag]

Not that much about Lam herself, IIRC. That thread tangented off into Beryl and Radar doing research about how Lam and Radar were or might have been created.

[clare_dragonfly]

Eee, that's weird, to have a girl follow him into his room, even if she had been the one he liked! Poor kid. I'm not sure that talking to Joseph will help... though more than talking to Radar would.

[aldersprig]

Yeah, sometimes teenaged girls can be weiiiird. :-)

[eseme]

Ooooo, good. I approve of Stone learning stuff and getting support. I also think his sister is more support and help than he thinks.

I am interested to see what happens when he meets That Darn Cat.