Morning breakfast was nothing without a cup of delightful tea and sweet strawberry jam biscuits.
Tonsi filled her flaking biscuit so full of jam it oozed and dripped onto her porcelain plate with each splendid bite; her tongue danced in her mouth, sloshing the goopy crumbles from cheek-to-cheek, smiling large as her three sisters, who were much younger than she was.
Brioni just turned five years of age and had the elegance, grace, and kindness of her mother. Always folding her napkin before placing it over her lap, and raising a pinkie every time she sipped from her tea glass. Gwendi, on the other hand, was a bit too much like her father; precise with everything she did. Never smiling and always tinkering with some new gadget. Hatti was the youngest, and most like Tonsi, never really listening to the rules of her parents home, and always getting into trouble. It didn't help that she stayed attached to Tonsi like a cub to her mother, watching and mimicking her every move, which made Tonsi giggle most days.
The three girls were as ice blue-eyed and golden blonde haired as she and her parents were. Their skin pale as cream. Wearing bright smiles, although the youngest was still growing into her first set of teeth.
"Tonsi, a bit of manner would do you some good." Lysa chirped, giving Brioni a warm smile. She nodded in agreement. "You're teaching the young one bad habits."
Tonsi's eyes shifted towards Hatti whose fingers were red jellied along with her lips. "What?" She shrugged. "I don't see anything wrong with her; ain't that right, you little cutie!"
Hatti's eyes fluttered and she waved her hands flinging jelly across the stoned floor and fine wooden tabletop; enough to fill another biscuit full.
"Oh, now you've done it. Weebert! Please do something."
Weebert's head was tilted high, leg crossed one-over-the-other, dressed in a fine black coat, black trousers, and a black rounded hat. He flipped through a newspaper, eyes looking through the glasses hanging on the brim of his small pointed nose.
He spoke dully, "listen to your mother, girls. You know better."
Tonsi giggled and little Hatti Womberwheel joined her.
"Weebert Womberwheel, you are no-good-a-man to be a father," Lysa told him, shaking her finger. Something she told him much too often though her words, often enough, fell on deaf ears. "What has your mind so far lost from your duties?"
"Oldtown United lost again to Featherton." His face scrunched up. "Surely we can get a few better gunslingers on our team."
"Slingerball should be the least of your worries. Now eat up before your biscuits turn to brick, and you know how you don't like that." She then darted a finger towards Gwendi. "And you, young lady, how many times have I told you to leave your book in your room? Just because your father reads at the table doesn't mean you can too."
The young Gwendi was lost in her imagination, reading a book on how to make a wooden gun that shoots stones.
"Tonsi! Do whatever it is you do and sort this mess out." Lysa gasped. Brioni looked to Tonsi, lips straight, nodding as adult-like as her mother. "Please ..."
Tonsi could see her mother was about to snap and when that happened nothing got resolved; the house turned into a circus of her yelling, the girls crying, and her father trying to collect his things to leave off to work in a haste.
Tonsi gave her a nod which allowed Lysa to catch her breath. She then stood to her feet and turned to the right. With a quick swipe of her hand, she snatched the book on stone guns and slipped the biscuit into the girl's little fingers.
Before Gwendi could protest with tears and wails, Tonsi said, "the sooner you finish breakfast, the sooner you can finish the book." It was all she had to say to get her chowing down like a mutt.
After that, she shifted towards her left, snatched up a rag then waggled her fingers to cause Hatti to wiggle like a worm, giggling. Her sister was in such a rouse, she didn't notice the rag that swiped over her fingers and face until it was clean.
Lastly, she turned towards her father whose face sunk deeper into the papers with each passing moment. "I heard this year that Oldtown United will be contenders for the cup."
Weebert pulled his eyes away, "what makes you believe this?"
She shrugged. "Because a report says they've been training with your corodite revolvers; and they've been approved by mentor Harvey Haimsway."
"Are you certain?" He flipped through the pages, back-and-fourth, eyes dancing around frantically. "I do not see such a thing—"
Tonsi held out her hand and Weebert placed the parchment into her palm. He sat upright, head corked, listening with full attention.
She dragged a finger down to the piece of the article Weebert failed to find than read: "I, Harvey Haimsway, have seen and tested W.W.'s Blackfire Wheelgun, and in doing so, have decided to add it to our arsenal moving forward."
The words were like songs to his ears.
"Splendid!" He chuckled, raising his arms victoriously. "Though they best not think I'll give them it cheap. Just because Oldtown United is my team — and I despise Featherton with all my will — the blackfire's will not be sold a coin less than they're worth." He chuckled, picking up his biscuit and bringing it to his lips. "This year, I may win in more ways than one." He struggled as he bit down, lips sinking deeper and deeper with each chew. "Oh, Lysa, this has turned to brick ..."
"And it serves you right!" Her tone was as penetrating as a bullet. "More focused on your gun games then your daughters."
Weebert looked between the girls who were all sitting as behaved as ever.
"What?" He shrugged. "These girls seem fine to me."
After supper, and a quick wash of the dishes, Tonsi met her father downstairs. He was in a rather chipper mood, standing outside their two-story brick home, conversating with a pair of finely dressed bounty hunters; one petting his golden mustache while the other rubbed her pointed chin.
"Colt and Caliris!" Tonsi waved and it caught their blue eyes. She ran over to them and gave a welcoming hug. "What brings you out here?"
As always they stood like statues, with little to say, and even less expression on their dull faces.
"They've just informed me that the plan has been executed with much success."
Tonsi raised an eyebrow. She did not know what "plan" her father was referring to. "Um, did I miss something? I'm uncertain what you mean, father?"
His blue eyes sparkled like light off ice. He chuckled and patted her head gently, "my dear, child, I speak of Leslie Turnbuckle ... we have put into motion a ripple that will cause her to side with us."
"How?"
He chuckled patting his chest, rewarding himself. "Well, I have sent word that—"
Behind them came a blast that shook the earth. Bricks and stones projected like bullets in every direction. A ball of golden flames rolled towards the gray sky above.
Tonsi felt the heat singe her hair; the force of the blow knocking her to the stone ground. A shock of pain shot up her leg.
Once her head stopped spinning, she focused on the place she called home, though it was no longer the brick estate she'd exited moments prior...
...all that was left was rubble, ash, and fire.