3+25+4= How many comments there were when I clicked on this thread about ten minutes ago. As much as I love comments, this is
insanity. And for the record I can do none of the proposed Jason torments, because I am playing very
beautiful and
touching things right now and this is pretty much the only time since Mist became heir that I can't kill people off willy-nilly. Sheesh! And he turns into a good person, too.
* * * The girls aged up together and quickly picked out their hair and outfits. Kylara remained intelligent and beautiful.
Cyllia is still practically a clone of her mother, with a little of Jason's mouth.
Aliya is just as pink and vibrant as ever.
They immediately called a family meeting--the first family meeting in Moonstone history, actually. One by one, the adults dressed and took their seats, too surprised by the girls' rebellion to protest.
Kylara cleared her throat to get everyone's attention, then began. "Over the past few years, certain members of the household have been trying to sabotage and wrest control from the heir, Grace Moonstone. This will no longer be permitted."
Everyone at the table looked at Treasure, who was already obviously angry. "If I took any power from Grace, it's because she's too
weak to have any idea of how to run this family!"
Ignoring her mother's statement, Cyllia spoke next. "Mother, if you continue to act as mentally challenged and controlling as you have been for all these years, if you keep undermining Grace's authority and trying to control or kill her, we will have no choice but to have you committed to the Matlapin Mental Institution."
"What? No!" Jason interrupted. "You can't just put her in the asylum! That isn't--"
"Jason, we don't want that any more than you do," Aliya interjected quietly. "But it's possible that Treasure can and will become a danger to herself and those around her. If her behavior doesn't improve, we have to assume that she's too much of a threat to the safety of everyone in this house, particularly Mom."
She glanced sideways at Grace. "Furthermore, the heir will start making every important decision in this legacy until the torch is passed on. She will be the head of the household. Mom, do you agree with the decisions made in this meeting?"
"Yes. I agree with the girls. This has gone much too far."
"No!" Treasure growled. "This isn't fair.
I was supposed to be heir, and I'm just doing what I was born to do!"
"Treasure, this may seem unfair to you, but, contrary to your beliefs, you did
not become heir, and you're going to need to accept that," Kylara said firmly. "From now on you will have none of the responsibilities or privileges of the heir, both of which you have taken because Grace was too kind to stop you. Should you refuse to comply with the new rules of this house, you will not be allowed to stay here, and we'll have to seek professional help."
"This all sounds perfectly lovely," Mist said dryly, "but who will we have to torture? There has to be a tormented in the Moonstone house, or there will be no balance in the world. And there won't be anything fun to do either!"
"No more tormenting or torturing," Cyllia answered. "We have been in darkness ever since you became heir, and now it's time to return to the light. Our legacy has strayed from the ideal that Great-Grandmother envisioned."
The three girls turned to look at the podium that stood empty in the living room, and Cyllia continued to speak. "Together, we have made a plan, and now we are going to present that plan to you, and you are going to accept it."
Aliya stepped up to the podium first. "As my half-sister said, we have forgotten what it is to be a
legacy. The last two generations have been nothing but sabotage, backstabbing, and fighting. Everyone is trying to undermine each other and, as a result, nothing is getting done."
"As a result, there has been no
trust or
friendship since--ever, really. We are the first generation in which the heirs have been friends, or even civil. Mist, Melody, and Finale hated each other. Grace and Treasure are sworn enemies. It's time for that to change."
"From now on, everyone will be expected to get along. There will be no more of this rampant sabotage. And, you know, there
is such a thing as fidelity. We strongly suggest that everyone here try it."
"We also realize that what we are now literally defies the idea of the legacy. Mist has been skimming from the Bridgeport Criminal funds since young adulthood, and once she took over the city she took deposited the contents of the Treasury into our bank account. Don't think we haven't noticed that everyone is dragging their needs by cheating so that they have more time to fight, backstab, and have affairs."
"And, for now, we don't care. You can motherlode and testingcheats all you want, and we won't stop you. We realize that you mainly do it for scenes for the story and, of course, the story is very important. But the story should be about a
legacy, not a house of people cheating and fighting with each other."
"Once we are young adults, an heir will be chosen. At this time, the family will move to a different town, the two spares will marry and move out, and so will the heir: she will start anew with 1,800 dollars and an empty lot. And we will discover again what it is to be a legacy. Thank you, that will be all."