Selvadorada, The Library of Magic
Akira
“I feel like shit,” Akira croaked.
His sister looked at him without sympathy, “You look like shit too. Good thing I packed you something appropriate to wear.”
He groaned inwardly, taking in Titania’s expensive suit and diamond earrings. Whatever she put together was sure to be too much.
“Did it feel good?” she demanded, “Throwing away all that work to get sober? Waking up with some stranger in your bed?”
“Yes!” Akira growled, “No! I don’t know,” he threw up his hands, “Why are you so bent out of shape about it? Your bed games involve knives, now you’re all up in arms about a little drink and a little sex?”
“I wouldn’t have to be if you enjoyed it! If it wasn’t just another way of you punishing yourself!”
“How am I punishing myself? I got divorced. Isn’t that what you wanted?”
“I want you to be happy,” she seethed.
“Well, I’m not!” he shot back, “It’s impossible.”
They stared at each other angrily for a few minutes.
“If you don’t want to chase after Miko, what are we even doing here?” Titania demanded, “Why am I wasting my time and energy helping you?”
Akira opened his mouth, but he didn’t have an answer. She wasn’t wrong. He was dragging Titania along just like Miko dragged him. Gods, it hurt. How had he gotten so fucked up? It was like he was waking up from a spell and just now beginning to see the world as it existed. He stared at his sister, noticing the tension in her shoulders and her stiff posture.
“What?” she narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I’m sorry,” Akira said softly as he hugged her. “You do every fuckin’ thing to help me, and I ain’t done shit but resent it. You’re the best sister.”
Titania pushed him away and frowned. “I am a good sister, but I already have one idiot, and I…I don’t want to take care of another.”
It was a kick in the stomach, knowing that his younger sister thought of him as a burden. He was supposed to be the one taking care of her! Instead, he was too busy chasing after some pink-haired Thread of Fate who cared nothing for him.
“Fuck Miko and fuck Oberon. You and me are family. Remember when you first became queen? I was right there beside you, and it was godsdamned glorious.”
Titania tried to hide her smile, but he could see her replaying everything in her mind.
“It used to be just the two of us,” he said, nudging her, “Let’s get this fucking book and do what we should have done all along: Go to war.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“Come on,” he begged, “You love this. Before you were She Who Is Most Wiley, they called you Warrior; they sang songs of your bloodshed.”
“I always dreamed that we’d take back our seat, that we could…” Titania’s usual bravado faltered. “No,” she insisted, “I’m being reckless. Oberon said we’d be cut down. He remembers the old wars. I’d be risking everything.”
She didn’t say it, but he knew the next line. They’d heard it from their parents often enough: Better to have a god’s cast-offs than to keep warring and be left with nothing at all. But she needed this. They needed thisāto feel in control and powerful again.
“And since when do you care what Oberon thinks? So he’s 1400. I’m tired of him treating you like you’re a fuckin’ kid. You think I don’t see the way he stands back giving you commands? You’ve learned more in your 670 years than he’ll ever know. We get this book, and you and I will have something valuable. Those Elder Realm bastards? They’ll negotiate with us.”
Titania pressed her lips together and looked away.
He hated seeing her like thisāunsure, stammering, shoulders slumped. “Think about it,” Akira said gently, “I’ll get dressed.”
He rushed through his shower, cringing at the suit she’d picked out but forcing himself to keep quiet about it. If wearing this outfit made Titania happy, he would do it. And if it convinced her to to get on board? Even better.
“Hey, sis, this is not so bad. And you act like you don’t cater to my vanity,” he laughed as he stepped out of the bathroom.
Titania was waiting, eyes glowing, a murderous expression on her face. Even though the threat wasn’t directed at him, Akira stilled his movements. “I guess you thought about it.”
“I did. They said we fell, that our line became lesser things, forgotten things. But those days are over. We will have a war, and the Goddess of the Hunt will remember why she feared my name.”
They used to fear Akira’s name too. Rushlightāit was his father’s moniker. The tales said he was fast enough to steal fire, that he ran between the worlds on a current of air. When he died, it became Akira’s name, and the currents called to the new Rushlight like he had been born to ride them.
He’d forgotten that part of himself, forgot everything except for Miko. He was consumed by her…
…But now he was free.
“We ain’t lesser things,” he declared, voice low, “And when we get done, those motherfuckers will remember that once upon a time, the Titans were gods.”
The Elder Realms, Home of Somnus
Miko
“They abandoned you,” Somnus said, tossing a pile of clothing at her. “They did not even have the decency to pack you a bag, and yet you weep for them.”
Miko glanced up, her gaze snagging on his scarred face and pointed ears. He must use magic to hide them, but why? What happened to his face to leave such a mark? And on a god, no less…
His lip curled. “So, in addition to being a crybaby, you’re also an idiot.”
She had been staring too long. It was rude. Still, “idiot” was a strong word. And she hadn’t cried that much.
He turned to leave the room but hovered by the doorway. “Get dressed. If I’m going to be forced to feed this pathetic form you inhabit, you could at least wear something that doesn’t smell.”
Miko glared behind his back. She was itching to put on fresh clothes and shower but being commanded to do so was insulting. With caution, she examined what he threw at her. It was an evening gown. Impractical, ridiculous andā
She dropped the dress like it scalded her.
In another timeline, she wore that gown dancing with Akira at the gnome’s stronghold in Granite Falls. She choked back a cry. Of course, Somnus knew. He was close enough to feed on her dreams and nightmares.
All these timelines and Akira still didn’t understand. She gave him everything, made herself vulnerable, allowed him to love her without interference.
And he betrayed it.
Kicking the dress as far away as possible, Miko looked around the room and started searching through the drawers for clothing. It was full of long draping gowns, which she hated, but not more than dirty pajamas.
After her shower, she procrastinated going upstairs. Her stomach was growling, but she wasn’t ready to face Somnus yet. As a child, she thought of the Elder Realms as a magical place. In the old days, the Fates would choose a family and the goddess, Marshala, would bless the children to be born as threads. They would host great birthday celebrations and Miko had fond memories of weaving contests with her cousins and ballrooms full of desserts.
But now, it felt like danger waited around every corner. There are no do-overs, Rory told her. Somnus held in his hands a time travel power that was useless. And when he figured it out, Miko would be useless too.
Useless and completely defenseless. Threads weren’t immortal. They looped time and if the Fates were putting an end to that, then Miko and the rest of her family were very nearly mortal. They wouldn’t die of old age, but they could be killed.
Millenia upon millennia of service and this was how the Fates repaid them?
Miko pulled back from the glass and began to pace. She couldn’t lose hope, but she felt trapped. Panicked. What was she going to do? How long before Somnus just outright killed her? Did the rest of her family know?
She paused, rubbing the back of her neck. No…no, maybe this was meant to be.
Tell me, Rabbit, did it take a thousand times because you were truly focused on trying to save the world?
The Fates, theyā¦they wanted her to go through this to learn her lesson! She wasn’t stuck here. Akira would find herāhe always didāand this time, she would forgive him. It would be romantic, him sweeping in to pull her out of Somnus’s grasp, an apology on his lips, and acceptance on hers. She didn’t need to worry about The Owl or the war. Let the Fates deal with that while Miko finally took the time to live her life.
Feeling confident, she crept upstairs. Somnus was stretched out on a chair watching a swirling crystal ball.
“What’s that?” she asked. Could she use it to get a message out to Akira?
“Dreams. Nightmares. Observations,” he replied cryptically.
Miko resisted rolling her eyes. She needed to find out how long to stall for. It might take Akira weeks to figure out where she was in the Elder Realms. “You never told me what you want with me. What are you planning?”
Somnus studied his nails.
“Why are we here in the Elder Realms instead of Windenburg? I have a right to know what you’re usin’ me for!”
He looked up at her and smirked, “So you only wish to wear that gown when you dream of Akira?”
Hurt flashed through her, which she tried to cover with indignance. “Why are you so cruel? I thought you were supposed to be charming and woo people to your side by fulfilling their dreams. Isn’t that how you got Anastasia?”
The expression on Somnus’s face was pitiless. “Why would I need to charm you? I already own you.”
Do the Fates… do they know more about the contents of Alice’s uterus than she does? That is some creepy-ass Santa shit. Follow-up question: what did they expect Summer to do about this?!
Initially I thought the spiral staircases joke was because Titania didn’t want Oberon to have elevators available when she ordered him to carry her stuff, and instead wanted him to have to struggle through the most inconvenient setup possible, but now I’m guessing it also references the builders who beg for spiral staircases at every turn—either way, brava.
So it comes down to the Fae versus the Fates! Aside from the drinking, I’m with Akira: Mikira’s not a great relationship given all the games they’re playing with each other. I’ll silently nod in agreement if the story ends with them deciding to take a break because neither of them is mature enough for marriage right now.
I have to admit, if the hideous mustache is supposed to divert attention from the scar, it’s working. Personally, I didn’t even notice the scar. Also says a lot that the mustache doesn’t stand out in his original character design. And is—he wearing pants with one white leg and one two-toned pant leg? (I guess I’m on about people’s socks today rather than the shoes: good use of punk-rockious tights on L, and it’s really too bad about Disco Stu—I mean Baako Jang—because he is one of my favorite townies, what with the orange socks and all. More of Grim’s shoes, though! This observation is hella late, also, but Vlad has another thing coming if he thinks the Shallot-Lius are letting anyone wear shoes in their apartment, Docs or not.)
**Scene in Von Haunt estate**
**Dolly intensifies**
**Alice sneaks into a back room in the Von Haunt Estate**
**DOLLY INTENSIFIES**
**scene switches before Mr. No Hot Chip & Lie rolls in**
**NOOOOO**
On a more serious note, I’m not believing Marjorie Barr is dead until I see it for myself. That has to have been planted.
Right in the nick of time! Damn! Guess it makes sense that Gwendolyn’s background would give her unusual powers along with the heterochromia. Mr. Alice Martin’s character development is also showing here, given that he’s not only fleeing instead of fighting, he knows exactly which past trauma to point to when justifying that decision.
Lastly, there is a keyword that indicates it is time for RABBIT FACTS. Rabbits hate the vacuum but they like being directly in the path of the broom! This is pretty relevant because they leave hay and poop everywhere and you have to be sweeping or vacuuming pretty much continuously! Rabbit people don’t show up often in mass media, but at least we have Ego Nwodim (at least in this sketch where she is CORRECT) and Amy Sedaris! Rabbit shows are a hootenanny of body shaming and no host ever yells “every bunny is the winner because they are all sooooo cuuute” and runs off crying! Or, maybe that happened once but they never invited me back! Rabbit show jumping competitions are a little better! Some rabbits want treats, some rabbits want you to offer them the treat so they can turn it down! Sometimes the diva princess who turned down the treat you offered will turn right around and try to steal that same treat from the other bunny! Rabbits can throw you a look that says “Really?!” as young as 6 weeks old! If you image search for “Easter bunny,” every single one of the rabbits in those photos is throwing all the shade in the world!
BUT THERE IS A BUNNY ON MONEY HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. I have died and ascended. Welp, I guess now that we have “kits” coming to Sims 4 including vacuum cleaners, you can reenact this in-game. If only My First Pet Stuff game with actual pets.
I kid. I’m going to complain and then buy it because vacuums figure heavily into my plans for Bonehilda in the Underworld.
Fun fact: at 6 weeks old Gwendolyn could also through you a look that says “really?!”
Vlad is learning! And growing! Do you know what’s wild? The version of this scene I wrote months ago had Vlad doing exactly that — fighting and murdering everyone and they all barely make it out alive. But by the time I got up to this chapter, that scene didn’t feel real anymore. I was like: no, I think the new Mr. Alice Martin would just leave because the violence would be about his ego, whereas doing the safest thing for his family involves peacing out. ::whistles, continues writing male love interests who eschew toxic masculinity::
Marjorie Barr: HAHAHAHAHAHA I have trained you not to trust me.
I’m so glad I finally got to use King of Disco himself, Baako Jang. Like, he is just on the list of insane NPCs to me. Speaking of insane NPCs, Diego Lobo will not give up that mustache, or those two-toned pants. He is a god, you hear? A GOD. lololololol
Yeah, I mean Akira has some things to work on but he and Miko are definitely not good for each other right now. He’s basically made his entire life about trying to win her back and he needs to be his own person for a while. I wanted to write someone walking away from a toxic situation because sometimes, that’s just healthier. Plus, I really wanted some “love” relationships that weren’t just romantic and Titania and Akira as siblings on an adventure to do slaughters and reclaim their godhood is just chef’s kiss.
And Miko, well, I got plans for her…
In RE the Shallot-Lie shoe policy: I want to be clear, Vlad would be fit to be tied about not wearing shoes inside. There would be an entire scene of Alice talking to him before they leave like:
Alice: Don’t.
Vlad: Don’t what? Take off my shoes and stroll around like some sort of heathen?
Alice: You are being insane. People don’t like when you wear shoes inside their house. You’re tracking gods knows what in thereā
Vlad: But you do.
Alice: I do what?
Vlad: Know what. I went hunting andā
Alice: [sighs deeply] That is the point. You want to tear the mailman limb from limb for your dinner, fine. But when we go there for dinner, you take off your fucking shoes so you don’t track it into the house.
Vlad: [glares]
Alice: [glares]
Vlad: What kind of floors do they have?
Alice: [groans]
Rugs, Mr. A. Martin! Light-colored ones!
(also, be prepared to determine whether Vlad has a favorite pop diva despite emphatically denying interest in such things, since Bernard will use any and all openings to steer the conversation toward Yuan secretly being a fan of Ava Max)
(oh my god is it Avril Lavigne)
Bahaha, doesn’t surprise me that Gwendolyn is precocious in that area. She can be an honorary rabbit and have her buns styled into little ears. Rabbits! The machines that convert hay into crushing disdain for everything and everyone in existence! I tried hay once and it didn’t taste very good.
Ah, cool to know you changed it. That’s some slick storytelling. Maybe I don’t appreciate it enough, but there have been many times in BBD where I thought to myself, “man, it would be awesome if x happened” and then it happens! From the child theft to the bonding to the heist to the haircut to the breakup to the window to the wall. Even offscreen one-offs like Gwendolyn getting to eat her abusive adoptive father.
What would they even have to accomplish by getting Alice to think Marjorie was dead? Gonna ruminate on that one.
Oh my gosh, I was gonna say Taylor Swift (I just feel like those are Vladās vibes. And he would be particularly fond of Bad Blood, which Alice would have repeatedly explained to him was not based on the violent showdown between two warring nations but in fact, a series of passive aggressive instagram posts between two pop stars).
Interesting, William and Morgyn are getting way more on camera sexy time than Alice and Vlad ever did. Either this is because you really favour them that much… or that they won’t be any other opportunities for this particular coupling, because doom. *gulp*
Lol I like that with all the insanity we’ve witnessed throughout the three seasons, the peak of sociopathic behaviour is apparently installing spiral staircases, LMAO!
Oh god, Akira and Titania. She is a very good sister. Aand we’re going to war. There goes the prophecy. And it all jsut started over little personal things. Oh man. I hope Miko is happy with herself because she pretty much caused this whole thing while spamming timelines in efforts to avoid it. *facepalm* Couldn’t she just… have forgiven him in one of the damn timelines? Sigh. Allowed him to love her without interference in those timelines? Umm, yeah, I think not. How deluded is she. Oh, and now she’s counting on him to save her? Urgh. Sorry, I wish my comment was more eloquent but I’m so frustrated with her, still oblivious to the mess she caused and she somehow thinks she’s the one in the right, demanding that Akira learns a lesson from alternate timelines that he does not remember. Blargh.
Oh fudge, I forgot about L Faba. Oh balls. Oh and Vlad is nw going on about how untrostworthy Penny is, great. Yep guys, do keep destroy all the alliances you have, fabulous idea. Just finish this self0fulfilling prophecy already. Sigh. Side note, catching that glimpse of Dylan is so different now, eek.
That moment with Morgyn helping William shave was touching. And ah, I see Akira and his bow and arrow have seen the librarian dude.
Holy shit! Gwen’s transition at the end there. And ermahgerd who is that looking for them, yikes!
Sorry my comment isn’t more coherent or meaningful š I am just so frustrated with everyone, but that is a credit to you š Definitely feels like we’re coming towards the season finale and oh gods I’m terrified *nervous laughter*
I WAS RESTRAINING MYSELF SO MUCH WITH WILLIAM AND MORGYN. Haha. I mean I love them so much and could not wait for this ship to launch. Also, Iām just way less stressed about sexy time shots or scenes than when I first started writing this.
But Plumbob, weāre talking spiral staircases EVERYWHERE. Can you imagine? lololololol
Okay, I am having so much fun with the Titania/Akira/Miko arc right now, itās crazy. Even though, I guess, itās not very fun for them because I am putting them through the ringer. Miko is so deluded. Itās funny, I started out with this idea of her and Akira having an epic love story and Iām not saying its impossible. But the more I wrote, the more I realized how toxic their arrangement is right now. So I think its best if they umm doing a little growing without each other. Miko def needs to get a grip.
Oh the tension of her waiting for him to come save her like always…. ::laughs evilly::
Ah yes, L. Faba, she did fade to the background for a bit. Iām sure its not because she was busy doing a bunch of nefarious stuff offscreen…
Iām so delighted by the fact that youāve got nervous laughter! We are coasting towards the finale! Gotta set up all sorts of terrifying things for book two š
Haha, so restrained š It was all very tasteful, in fairness š
Ah yeah, there’s a fine line between what’s deemed traditionally romantic and toxic. Haha yes, I agree, some time apart is needed š
I we may have different definitions of coasting š¤£ Because when I look down from the ship, the water below is far more volatile than I realised, there’s a storm coming, I’m pretty sure the ship is leaking, the people that were in charge of the lifeboat decided to smash the lifeboat to bits while bickering profusely and here I am clinging on for dear life as I realise I forgot to bring any kind of floatation equipment when I boarded this thing š But I realise this is somewhat hypocritical of me to say, lol. I do love a bit of wreckage, haha.
Coming from you this is high praise! Cut to me clinging to your boat with my torn Morgyn Fan Club T-shirt ššššš
Hoo boy. None of what the Fates predicted is actually coming true. Woops. Looks like they dropped the ball somewhere- wait, Titans?! O.O
āHow am I punishing myself? I got divorced. Isnāt that what you wanted?ā
Oh, Akira. Everything about that line is wrong. You should have gotten divorced for yourself, not as a knee-jerk reaction to Miko to get a reaction or because Titania wants you to. Poor guy. And she doesnāt seem any happier with Oberon than Akira is with Miko. At least they have each other ā even if they canāt see the fault in their own relationship, maybe they can point out the flaws in the other personās love life until they both open their eyes. It worked that way for me and my dad back in the day.
Oh gods, they used to be titans? So thatās what the Fates were panicking about. That canāt be good ā if they go to war against the gods, that will include Alice. Oh dear. Oh no.
Man, with every chapter that features these two I like Akira and Titania more and get angrier and angrier with Miko. Itās the fact that she was so sweet and innocent and pink and soft to everyone, playing the victim, all the while she was meddling with people to the point of destroying Akira and pushing Penny towards despair. On purpose. And she still doesnāt realize what she has done and how bad it has gotten. Or she doesnāt want to admit it and blame herself. Gah.
āMillenia upon millennia of service and this was how the Fates repaid them?ā
You, Miko. You very specifically, for getting everyone into this mess in the first place. Because I do not believe for a second that her meddling is not the prime reason for this whole God War to be happening in the first place. š Gaaaaaah even her thinking about Akira coming to save her and accepting her isnāt because she āforgivesā him or wants to be with him again, but because he is a means to an end. I want to shake her so bad, but that probably wonāt do anything š«
Oh geez the more we learn about witches, the crueler they seem. Why would anyone treat their children like that? Indoctrination I understand but my gods, shoving a child into a basement for days because they asked questions? That is just horrible. Ooooh and L Faba survived! Oh no. I hope Penny makes it out of that duel aliveā¦
So Valeria and Vlad both realized before Alice did, huh š man, Alice is so bad at keeping track of herself.
Oh gods, thatās Oberon, isnāt it? Looks like Titania and Akira wasted no time in getting rid of him and taking the book for themselves š¶
Dear lord they got out of there just in time indeed. Those last few pictures are haunting! I wonder why Gwendolyn is turning to light instead of mistā¦
Oh, did I forget to mention that Titania comes from the Titans who maybe sorta used to be gods and now they have the Book of Longings and they are ready to go to war?
Oh jeez, slipped my mind. I mean, Liberty did say war was inevitable. Iām sure itās gonna be totes chill…
Uh yeah, you are honing in some key Akira/Titania dynamics! I really wanted a love story that wasnāt romantic love. The story of you and your dad is giving me warm and fuzzies! I hope you guys are happier now. Hopefully, Akira and Titania will follow suit.
Oh itās fun to watch the Miko transition happen. Itās all about perspectives right? She is so far wholly unable to grapple with her role in this. She loves being the victim. And Iām sorry to say, we havenāt even scratched the surface with her.
Buckle up.
The witches are definitely not nice in my universe. They have become awful and corrupted, though it didnāt happen without help. Speaking of which, L Faba is the living incarnation of mischief Magic. Iām sure Penny will have no problem winning.
Oh, Gwendolyn turning into light. You caught that huh? ::nervous laughter::