There is noise and then there is song, and while it’s a fine line between the two Soya was pretty sure Til had wandered irrecoverably into noise. She valiantly attempted to ignore her brother’s flute playing in the hopes that one of the grownups would take care of the matter for her.

When no grownups were forthcoming she finally took matters into her own hands.

“Til!”

*WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!*

“Til!”

*WHEET?*

“I bet you–” she looked around trying to find something, finally settling on the gemstone atop the ornate staff carried by the party’s resident wizard. “I bet you the shiny rock that you can’t hold your breath for ten counts.”

Her brother eyed the rock, which was indeed shiny, and then his sister, abet much more suspiciously. “It’s not your rock.”

“So?”

“You can’t bet it if it’s not yours.”

Quandary. Soya though for a moment then shrugged nonchalantly. “But I can pretend it’s mine. So I bet you that you can pretend it’s yours and I won’t pretend it’s mine.”

This was deemed Sibling Acceptable and the dare proceeded as planned…

And thus, once again, was the Cursed SunStone of Veramasu used for nefarious purposes.