“You leave him alone! He was-” Silvia snarls, but Jin interrupts her again.
“Defending you? Hah do you always-”
But before Jin could let loose his barb the heir of the Tono household interrupted him.
“ENOUGH!”
Yells-Oh dear… dear, dear. Now I think I’ve started a little far in things here. Let's rewind a moment. Afterall you hardly know these people, which you have too. In order to be invested in any of this that is. So why don’t we… Oh yes, here's a good place to start.
There she is, Miss Silvia Lehren. Doing one of the things she likes most, hiding in the roots of her favorite old oak. A twisted and gnarled thing, with more than a good bit of its roots exposed to the elements. Which is probably why she likes it so much, she can wedge herself into the roots of the tree and never be found. Which is exactly what she wants when she's reading. What is she reading? But what is she reading? Oh why don’t we take a look… Old worn pages, both gray and brown from age and notes taken in pencil (never a good idea when writing anything important), along with sketches of old things, and plants and such. It was Silvias fathers old study journal. The non-magical one of course, Silvia stayed well away from magic after her parents passed.
You see it reminded her of her mother and aunt (more like the family friend kind, not the real blood relative mind you). So she studied her fathers artifact journal instead, his scrawled notes and sketches reminding her of days she dearly missed. Back when the Tono estate was a lovely place to stay every once in a while. Instead of her home, though it didn’t really feel that way… Maybe that’s why she was always outside. The manor always seemed to make her feel out of place.
Now under that tree, curled into the old worn roots, with her worn and well read book. Silvia tried to remember her father’s voice… It was warm and deep and-
“Silvia! Silvia?!.” Called a high-pitched bright voice, it was little Lio. His shock of blonde hair surely bobbed about as he looked for her. Not that she could see him from her spot in the tangled roots. She sunk into the stiff embrace of the ancient oak and grumbled. Not quite making words, but all the same venting her frustration as she was certain to be found.
Afterall little eight-year-old Lio had a way of finding things that wanted to stay hidden.
The teen sighed, shutting her book and standing up from her hiding spot at the foot of the tree. Throwing a little wave in the direction of the boy. “I'm here Lio!” She called, stepping around the tree and getting some blood into her legs, giving herself pins and needles.
The boy, with his bright golden hair bouncing, ran up to Silvia. Nearly tackling her to the ground as he ran into a hug.
“Hey! My legs are still shaky Lio!” She laughed, his ever golden boy charm infecting her with only a touch. Her voice had an odd sort of lilt to it, a mix of several different accents, each word almost pronounced in a different dialect.
He was a happy carefree sort of boy.
Lio only somewhat ignored her, promising in his head to do better next time. He certainly wouldn't but that didn't bother Silvia much.
“I waited two whole hours!” Lio said, a tad disgruntled. His own voice having the rounded tones of Japanese despite being unable to really speak it. “Can you make me Mac and cheese now?” He said with a whine, turning on his big watery brown eyes.
Silvia groaned, looking away from those entrancing big round eyes. Then after a few seconds she looked back at him. Lio hadn't moved a muscle, he was oddly focused when trying to get someone to do something for him. She sighed, knowing that the only way to stop his onslaught of cute was to give.
“I guess I did promise, didn't I?” Silvia said, smiling and tapping Lio's wide and somewhat flat nose.
This made Lio's face go from that of a kicked puppy to a happy grin. “Yup! And besides, nobody makes mac and cheese like you do!” He proclaims, as Silvia hides the fall in her expression.
Only one person had taught her how to make Lios’ favorite dish… But he never got a chance to know her.
Shaking off the melancholy she heads into the large and seemingly misplaced mansion. The architecture is a mix of ancient Japanese and old western European. It somehow managed to be meshed together rather harmoniously despite the seemingly clashing ideas. Which matched the Tono family rather well. They had been an odd mix of the two cultures themselves. With Mr. Tono being what some would call a typical Japanese traditionalist, while his late wife was in a word “carefree”. No one really knew how these opposites attracted to each other. But, attract they did, and four handsome young boys came from it. The Tono brothers, each looking so different and yet so alike. Silvia shakes her head as she thinks of the four boys, who had been close family friends for as long as she could remember. Practically brothers to her in their own right.
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
“ah!” cries Silvia as she burns her hand on the pot of boiling noodles. Her mistake for trying to grab a metal handle on a pan over a gas stove. Those things burn like the dickens!
As Silvia goes to grab the oven gloves she rather foolishly forgot, Lio giggles from his perch on the kitchen barstool. “Were you spacing out again Silvia?” he says in a way that only teasing little boys could.
Silvia just levels him with a glare, making him giggle again. “I was not!” she exclaims. Then pauses, tilting her head side to side. “ok, maybe I was… but just a little bit!” She says with mock anger pointing a gloved finger at Lio.
Silvia then goes back to her cooking, draining and setting the noodles aside. Lio watches kicking his feet as Silvia pulls the butter, flour, milk, and cheese from the fridge and pantry with practiced ease. But he hops off the stool and pulls a little stepping stool from the pantry to stand next to her, gazing into the pot as she begins the roux.
And then he asks the most innocently painful question he could have, “Silvia… could you teach me how to make mac and cheese?” His large light brown eyes are like pools of warm chocolate.
Silvia swallows, looking to the pot, and then to Lio. Putting on a rather convincing fake smile. She’s had quite a lot of practice masking pain with a smile over these last few years.
“Of course, come ‘ere.” And so, just as her dear auntie Enid taught her, she taught her son. The careful steps and spices added to the sauce, until a perfect mac and cheese was steaming in a bowl. Though Lio demanded hot dogs in it. Silvia gave him a withering look, muttering something about an “insult to my cooking” before frying, cutting them up, and adding them in.
Just as Lio was about to dig into his lunchtime feast, the creak and slam of the front door stopped him. An uncharacteristic look of melancholy crossing the boy's face.
“Oh, they’re back…” He says.
Silvia looks to the archway into the hall, Jin entering into the kitchen through it. A scowl flashes across her face, before she steels it. Not really wanting to engage with him she turns back to the stove pretending to clean up the pot. But Jin wasn’t really willing to stay silent and keep the uneasy tension that filled the room on his arrival.
“Having a good time playing mommy?” Jin says, giving the emotions in the room a hefty jab. His growl of a voice tainted with a condescending sneer. His brown eyes almost black with contempt.
Silvia rounds on him, but she is interrupted by that bright little voice, as it stutters with nerves. “I-I as-asked uh- her eh- ttoo!” Lio manages to get out.
But that just added fuel to the burning embers, turning it into a flame. Jin smacking his little brother upside the head. Making Lio nearly fall out of his chair. Silvia roughly shoves Jin aside, picking up the boy and putting her behind him.
“You stay outta this pipsqueak.” He growls.
“You leave him alone! He was-” Silvia snarls, but Jin interrupts her again.
“Defending you? Hah do you always-”
But before Jin could let loose his second barb the heir of the Tono household interrupted him.
“ENOUGH!” Herununnos Tono’s voice cuts into the fight like a hot knife through butter. Causing both participants to freeze.
Heru fixed the two with a withering stare, making both of the younger teens shrink.
“Why do you two always have to fight? It’s been less than a minute!” Heru says with a tired and frustrated huff.
Though a sniffle caught the eldests’ attention. His eyes flicked to Lio, trying his best to keep quiet. A brave face on the boy, Heru looks between the other three. His face melted from frustration to seething rage.
Herununos rounds on Jin, “What happened to Lio…” Heru’s voice is low and dangerous.
“Hey guys gues- oh… Crap…” The third of the Tono brothers, Bran. Walks into the tense kitchen.
Heru turns to Jin, who fixes him with his own glare. Preparing for the inevitable scolding, not that he really cared. It seemed lately that Heru would always scold Jin for something. Jin crossed his arms over his leather jacket and tee-clad torso. Heru towering over him, his brown eyes burning with thinly concealed anger.
“We’re talking about that later.” Heru says giving Jin a “I’m keeping an eye on you” his glare unwaivering. He relaxes his face when looking at Silvia, and patting Lio on the head. Lio drying his eyes, giving one last big shaky sigh before sniffing. Heru then almost nervously looking at Silvia as he waves Bran in to change the subject. Bran shrinks down, but made his way into the kitchen anyway. He holds up a small black bag, opening it to show a worn stone tablet. Silva gasps, horror then anger crossing her face. But her voice stays quiet,
“I see you went “treasure hunting”..” Silvia says with utter distain shining in her forest green eyes, giving saltly little air quotes around the word.
Jin pipes in, “Oh don’t get your panties in a wad princess, it’s actually important this time.” he says with a faux bored tone.
This makes Silvia pause for a moment, then physically shaking the interest from her head she fixes a glare on Jin, “It’s dangerous! Every new artifact is a new potential threat…” Silvia says with emphasis.
Jin huffs rolling his eyes “Whatever like I said before you’re not our mom, and unlike you. I’m actually trying to get mine back.”
the words hit Silvia like a bullet in the chest, she tries to hold back tears as she croaks “You’re so selfish, you’re putting everyone in this house in danger!” the tears slowly falling down her cheeks as she looks between all three of the boys, Bran and Heru having the decency to look midly guilty. Silvia then storms out of the kitchen, the sound of her feet on the many stairs snap the boys from their temporary freeze. Heru turning back to Jin, Jin mentally bracing himself for the coming storm.
“Why do you always have to antagonize her? What did she ever do to you?” Heru ask with a hint of frustration and scolding.
“Why do you have to always treat her like family? She’s a nobody!” Jin exclaims, throwing his hands in the air.
Heru glares at Jin, “She is way more than a “nobody” Jin, her parents had been friends with dad since before any of us were born. She pracitally grew up in this house with us!” Heru raises his voice as he continues, raising his hands to the home around them.
“So what?! She always acts like she has a right to stick her nose in our business, and she ain’t even family!” Jin is full on shouting, hyperventilating as he finishes.
Heru look goes angry, but cold. “In case you haven’t been around much in the last six years, she is.” Heru says, “Or do I have to remind you that while we lost mom in the accident, she lost her parents.” Heru emphasizes, “we” He gestures to all of them “are the only thing she has even close to family left!”
But before Jin could snap back, Bran interjects speaking quietly his voice soft, and sad. “You went too far Jin… When you said that about getting mom back…” He says, once again offering the diffusing words.
Jin slumps his shoulders, knowing it was in fact too far. But he can’t bring himself to admit it out loud, even as the memory of the fateful day fills the young-mans features with pure guilt. Heru sees it, and satisfied, changes the subject. Grabbing the bag from Bran’s hand, who protests but isn’t tall enough to take it back. Huffing as he lets Heru walk towards he entryway again, going into the living room.
“Let’s just get this one put in the vault first.” He says pulling on the rope and pressing two bricks next to the fireplace, which replaces itself with a entrance to a spiral staircase leading down into the depths of the earth.