The Uncle re. an Aunt

[aldersprig]

First: Visiting the Family
Previous: The Powers that Be


Uncle Willard let Eva’s words hang in the air while he opened up his sun porch to them and brought in a pitcher of cold lemonade.

There was something like a ritual to it, the clean glasses, the glass pitcher, the cold, sweet-tart fresh lemonade. In the winter, it woudl have been tea. Their family had things that they did, and they all did them more or less the same.

The thought made her smile, her lips just starting to curl up as Willard answered.

“I think Asta was a changing of the guard. She had a lot of things she did. None of them, well, were any use to me, but I think they might be of use to this nephew of yours.” He sat back in an old armchair and lounged, looking at Rosaria and Eva over his lemonade.

Eva wasn’t fooled by his nonchalant glance. This, too, was a test.

She was growing a little tired of tests.

“Let’s see. Asta left Aunt Rosaria free to pursue a different path, one that involved a family, which places Aunt Rosaria as the tale-teller. That’s not a small thing. She let the older generation get complacent, because she let them push her around, and yet, if you read her diaries, she was supremely good at doing what needed to be done, when it needed doing.

“So she wasn’t holding on to as much power, probably - the legacy has a feel to it, you know, and she passed down a smaller part of it. Then again, the whole thing about the legacy is that it comes from the family, and that’s been changing in the last few months.” Eva took a breath. “But Asta holding less of it left more of it in other hands.” She lifted her chin. “Do I pass, Uncle Willard?”

He laughed, cheerfully but with an edge. “You’re an Aunt, all right.”

Want More?

Comments

[thnidu]

• Uncle Willard let Eva’s words hand in the air while he opened up his sun porch to them and brought in a picture of cold lemonade.
-> hang in the air
-> pitcher of cold lemonade.

Bringing in "a picture of cold lemonade" wouldn't have been hospitable at all!

[aldersprig]

Damn, I hoped I’d fixed that one before anyone notices…

[kelkyag]

To echo a recent question elsewhere ... when is visiting Willard relative to the Kingmaker thread?

Eva just said in the last segment that Asta "always knew she was a place-holder" ... and here she's saying Asta got stuff done when necessary, even while personally holding a less power. Not a necessarily a contradiction, but an interesting set of assertions together. And I now I must wonder if Asta was deliberately leading the older generation into complacency. I'm not sure that squares with sending Willlard into exile, but that she wanted change for the family doesn't mean she wanted this change ... <ponders>

More please!

[aldersprig]

This is earlier if not considerably earlier than Kingmaker. Very early in Eva’s time.

And Eva… yes. ASta knew she was a placeholder - but didn’t let that stop her, I suppose is the way that should be said.

Was Asta the Aunt for sending Willard away? I don’t remember.

[kelkyag]

No, you're right, I mis-remembered the younger Rosaria and Willard snippet. That was Elenora. Sorry!

[aldersprig]

No worries!

…I had something else to say but it’s early and I’ve forgotten it, sorry.

OH, yes.

Elenora. We don’t like her. Booo, hissss.

[kelkyag]

Was there a reason before that came out to dislike Elenora? I mostly remember her from the awkward late inheritance from Zenobia scenes, which gave me the impression Zenobia had been indifferent at best about training her.

[aldersprig]

I honestly don’t remember, I just remember that I don’t like her. Maybe ‘cause Z doesn’t.

[kelkyag]

There's not a lot of Zenobia, and less of Elenora, but in Passing the Cat it seems like Zenobia liked Elenora as much as she liked anyone (a low bar, admittedly).

[sauergeek]

I'm trying to untangle Eva's answer to the test. Are Asta's actions really as intentional as Eva makes them sound? And with Aunt Rosaria being the tale-teller, and deeply opposed even now to Willard's expulsion, her tale-telling can help shape a younger generation. And possibly with Asta drawing all the attention from the older generation, Rosaria probably had the opportunity to do that shaping largely unmolested. Result: Rosaria's generation of grannies may be the last set opposed to men with the spark, and (assuming Eva lasts a while), when Beryl inherits the Aunt House, Stone may be able to become the wizard that Willard couldn't.

Is there a way to bring Willard back into the family, assuming he wants to come back and lives so long to see that level of drastic change?

[eseme]

Oh yes, I really hope Willard gets to go back into the family. And his kids - they or their kids may have the spark.

Also, this bodes very well for Stone, YAY.