"Isn't this nice? Quite charming, I reckon." Rowena looked at the house the car stopped by with approval, lightly slapping Aleister's shoulder to make sure he was paying attention. "It's very American."
There was a front yard, there was a porch that had a swing on it, it all looked rather stereotypical. Right down to the American flag on display. "Oh my."
Rowena wasn't certain how to feel about that. She got out of the car when the driver opened the door for her, taking the arm of the man she had dazzled - with only a bit of magic - into driving them all this way from the airport. They had two moving trucks with them that parked up currently. Rowena didn't travel lightly.
"What do you think, Fergus? I think it will be a beautiful little home for us, won't it?"
"Aleister." Fergus was not a name he wanted, associated with or cared for. Honestly, it was the start of a long list of things he hated his mother for. The name, the abandonment, the lack of apology. He hated that he wanted to be with her and he loathed that he wanted her to want him but... it was what it was.
He got out of the car and shut the door behind him, frowning at the trucks with such confusion. What on earth was going to come out of there. He had no idea, given he had never actually lived with his mother. All of his possession fit in a bag, so it was all on her. He hoped it was more witch stuff than pointless nick-nacks.
Turning around, he peered down the road at where the other houses were and then back up.
"I think it's weird." It was small and quiet, it was pretty cold and the houses were all similar but different colours. And the flag? Creepy.
"Yes, mundane life can be a little off-putting, I agree. Nevertheless, it pays off to assimilate. You'll learn, Fer-- Aleister." She bowed her head graciously as she acquiesced to his request to be called by that name. "You should go drive that car back, dearie, I expect you're a couple of hours late to work."
With that, she dismissed the man that had driven them here. Instead she reached for her son's arm and pulled him along as she headed up to the porch. She unlocked the key and stepped inside, taking a deep breath. "Ah. It will smell like home soon enough."
She turned to the men that had gotten out of the trucks, calling out to them. "Please just put everything in the right room, according to label. And unpack, carefully. Except for anything for the basement, that's not for your hands or eyes."
With those instructions given, she took Aleister's hand and pulled him along. "Isn't that a darling fireplace? So utterly charming. Now, what's with the long face, pet? Do you have to be such a sullen teen all the time?"
"So you told them to do it and they're just... going to do it?" They would do what she wanted, as long as that glamour laid a hold. He cocked his head to the side, looking at the men as they worked and stumbling after his mother as she dragged him inside. It smelled weird inside, like plaster and mortar. Must have been repaired recently.
No damp smell. Weird. Definitely wasn't in the UK any more.
He pulled away from his mom, hands in his pockets, looking at her with a raised eyebrow. "I'm not being sullen. It's just all... weird. Besides, I'm not exactly desperate for as reunion, you know?" He was but he wasn't about to tell her that. "You tossed me aside! How do I know you won't do it again in the middle of buttfuck America."
"Because, darling, I simply left you behind because you were a useless bundle and I had my career to worry about. I will not apologise for being a career woman." She stopped in front of him now, running a hand through his hair and sorting it a little. Silly little hairstyle he insisted on, but it could not be helped. "I have to say, you went through a rough patch but you are turning out decent looking for a man."
She was very pleased with that. "Dearie, all I want is to provide well for myself. And you, now that you're here." She gestured to the men who were currently carrying in the bigger pieces of furniture, four of them working on one very sizeable bed and hauling it up the stairs. "You're about to no longer be useless, son. I'll teach you everything about that."
"And if I had never learned magic, if I had no natural skill... you never would have come." He wasn't looking for an answer, he knew the answer. He was useless unless he was a witch. He had memories of his mother before she left, he remembered the sort of things she complained about. Lack of skill, in the way, holding her back, not a girl - he was no idiot. He knew she wanted something from him and that was all that mattered.
But even broken, evil people could play pretend and act like they cared. And he could enjoy that, couldn't he? What spoke against a little false love?
He brushed his mother off and then shook his head. "I want to learn more than tricks. I want to learn the good stuff." He wanted to know how to really hurt people, to commune with demons, to levitate - he didn't want to be a notice any more. "That's why I'm here. Not because of you."
"Of course that's why you are here, dearie. That's what you have to focus on. Be strong. Look out for yourself. Survive. At all costs and always, survive. Then you can thrive. And don't worry about the enemies that you've made along the way, once you thrive all they can do is envy." It was a pretty solid philosophy, Rowena felt. "I will teach you all you're capable of learning. You have potential, that much is true. What you make of it depends on your will and your drive."
She was hoping that the way she had raised him would have equipped him with plenty of both. "Oh, and I've enrolled you in the local high school. I've got a brochure for it somewhere here..."
Rummaging through her purse, she finally produced the brochure and handed it to him. "Do you want to take part in any after school activity? I don't really see you as an athlete... Theatre, perhaps?"
"What? Are you fucking joking? I'm 16. Why the sodding hell would I go back to school?" In England, sixteen was enough to finally be rid of all that nonsense. He had planned to enrol in long distance A-Levels and go to a good university, all while working and living in the group home, but now it seemed he was sliding back. Goodbye A-levels, hello school all over again. And American school too. With all of those stupid electives and social order. "I'm not taking any school activities. Can't I just do all of this from home?"
Homeschooling was a thing? He could do that. He had a good work ethic. "I hardly want to go to pep rallies and hang out of at the soda pop shop or whatever they do here!"
Most of his knowledge was, admittedly, from Grease and various sitcoms.
"Socialising is important, dearie. You'll need to learn that skill if you want to make it in the world. It takes a lot more power than you're going to have for at least another century or three to be as independent as I am." Rowena patted his cheek and then walked past him toward the sofa that had just been put town. She sat down and took her shoes off, making herself at home while the movers were doing all the actual work. "Just make a few little friends. It's always good to have a few spare ones. You want people to practice your spellwork on, don't you?"
"I have excellent social skills, that's not a problem for me. It's tolerating the tediousness of my peers." He was good at socialising, he had a lot of charm when he needed to and could talk himself out of trouble. Hell, he always did. It was just that he had little time for American jockery. "I suppose I can find myself some puppets."
Aleister sat himself down on the arm chair they had set down earlier and looked across at his mom, just studying her. He had read up on her, knew a fair bit about her on reputation alone. He was on edge, he couldn't deny it. He wanted to believe she cared but what if she didn't? What if it was a trap? "The better have decent tea here. And I want to see the basement once it's done."
"Oh, my dearest boy. If all goes well and you are what I need you to be, then you'll help me set up everything in the basement. We'll draw the circles together, you and I. Mother and boy. There is power in that." More than she would have expected. She never wanted to have any kind of attachment to a child, but now that there was some, it would be a shame if she didn't make use of it.
"I've brought some teabags from Scotland, don't you fret." She waved his concerns off. "Now, I've made sure to have some books of interest on the shelves in your room. Make sure to read them thoroughly, won't you? Be a good boy for your mommy."
"You're so strange, can't you just not talk about yourself like that? I'm not five." Rolling his eyes, Aleister leaned back and his mind raced excitedly over the idea of drawing the circles, setting up the basement and reading every book. Before, he had to search high and low to get his hands on anything remotely magical. Now, it was all at his finger tips.
The excitement was hard to push down. "I will be what you need me to be." He didn't have any other choice. "You watch."
"Make me proud, my dear Aleister." There, she was using his chosen name. If he was even half the witch she was hoping he'd be, he had earned that much at least. "I know you won't disappoint me."
She trusted her own judgement, if nothing else. "Now, stop bothering me, will you? I've got some maintenance to do."
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no subject
There was a front yard, there was a porch that had a swing on it, it all looked rather stereotypical. Right down to the American flag on display. "Oh my."
Rowena wasn't certain how to feel about that. She got out of the car when the driver opened the door for her, taking the arm of the man she had dazzled - with only a bit of magic - into driving them all this way from the airport. They had two moving trucks with them that parked up currently. Rowena didn't travel lightly.
"What do you think, Fergus? I think it will be a beautiful little home for us, won't it?"
no subject
He got out of the car and shut the door behind him, frowning at the trucks with such confusion. What on earth was going to come out of there. He had no idea, given he had never actually lived with his mother. All of his possession fit in a bag, so it was all on her. He hoped it was more witch stuff than pointless nick-nacks.
Turning around, he peered down the road at where the other houses were and then back up.
"I think it's weird." It was small and quiet, it was pretty cold and the houses were all similar but different colours. And the flag? Creepy.
no subject
With that, she dismissed the man that had driven them here. Instead she reached for her son's arm and pulled him along as she headed up to the porch. She unlocked the key and stepped inside, taking a deep breath. "Ah. It will smell like home soon enough."
She turned to the men that had gotten out of the trucks, calling out to them. "Please just put everything in the right room, according to label. And unpack, carefully. Except for anything for the basement, that's not for your hands or eyes."
With those instructions given, she took Aleister's hand and pulled him along. "Isn't that a darling fireplace? So utterly charming. Now, what's with the long face, pet? Do you have to be such a sullen teen all the time?"
no subject
No damp smell. Weird. Definitely wasn't in the UK any more.
He pulled away from his mom, hands in his pockets, looking at her with a raised eyebrow. "I'm not being sullen. It's just all... weird. Besides, I'm not exactly desperate for as reunion, you know?" He was but he wasn't about to tell her that. "You tossed me aside! How do I know you won't do it again in the middle of buttfuck America."
no subject
She was very pleased with that. "Dearie, all I want is to provide well for myself. And you, now that you're here." She gestured to the men who were currently carrying in the bigger pieces of furniture, four of them working on one very sizeable bed and hauling it up the stairs. "You're about to no longer be useless, son. I'll teach you everything about that."
no subject
But even broken, evil people could play pretend and act like they cared. And he could enjoy that, couldn't he? What spoke against a little false love?
He brushed his mother off and then shook his head. "I want to learn more than tricks. I want to learn the good stuff." He wanted to know how to really hurt people, to commune with demons, to levitate - he didn't want to be a notice any more. "That's why I'm here. Not because of you."
no subject
She was hoping that the way she had raised him would have equipped him with plenty of both. "Oh, and I've enrolled you in the local high school. I've got a brochure for it somewhere here..."
Rummaging through her purse, she finally produced the brochure and handed it to him. "Do you want to take part in any after school activity? I don't really see you as an athlete... Theatre, perhaps?"
no subject
Homeschooling was a thing? He could do that. He had a good work ethic. "I hardly want to go to pep rallies and hang out of at the soda pop shop or whatever they do here!"
Most of his knowledge was, admittedly, from Grease and various sitcoms.
no subject
no subject
Aleister sat himself down on the arm chair they had set down earlier and looked across at his mom, just studying her. He had read up on her, knew a fair bit about her on reputation alone. He was on edge, he couldn't deny it. He wanted to believe she cared but what if she didn't? What if it was a trap? "The better have decent tea here. And I want to see the basement once it's done."
no subject
"I've brought some teabags from Scotland, don't you fret." She waved his concerns off. "Now, I've made sure to have some books of interest on the shelves in your room. Make sure to read them thoroughly, won't you? Be a good boy for your mommy."
no subject
The excitement was hard to push down. "I will be what you need me to be." He didn't have any other choice. "You watch."
no subject
She trusted her own judgement, if nothing else. "Now, stop bothering me, will you? I've got some maintenance to do."