OUR STORY CONTINUES
Last time, Alice realized her true feelings for Vlad at Gwendolyn’s pediatrician appointment. Vlad designed a playroom as an unhinged confession of love. Caleb and Titania were NOT on a date, but they did discover what Johnny was getting from Darrel Charm, and now, the witch hunt has begun.
Sages’ Estate, Glimmerbrook
CONTENT WARNING
Strong language, adult situations, violence, gore, sexual situations, partial nudity, depictions of grief, trauma, severe depression, and references to sexual assault.
AKIRA
“Introducing His Royal Excellency, Prince Akira Kibo of the Fae Court, known to outer realms as The Rushlight, brother of the Queen of the Fae, and recognized sovereign in her absence.”
Akira barely managed to avoid rolling his eyes during the speech. The Sages didn’t need a royal crier to announce him, but they knew it pissed him off.
Passive aggressive motherfuckers.
As he entered the room, Summer looked up from her desk, a wicked smile on her lips. “Have you come for a performance review?”
Akira chuckled. He was dressed in full regalia, but already he was wishing it was just the two of them so he could chuck off his boots and this heavy cloak. Of the three Sages, Summer was his favorite. They’d had a fling in the early 19th century—short-lived but enjoyable. Over 180 years later, he still found her beautiful. They’d never had anything so intense as love, but it was an honest friendship while it lasted.
“Are you in the habit of subjecting royalty to a formal review?” he asked, lifting a brow.
“Oh, I reckon we could be,” she smirked.
It was hard to know if that little colloquial slip was real or put on. Their interactions were far more complicated now than when Summer was simply running for the position of Sage with her siblings.
Rory cut into their playful flirting. “When a member of royalty works for us, yes, we do expect to give them a review.” His voice continued to rise in volume. “We have real responsibilities, real work, and you are wasting our time. What do you have to say for yourself?”
“Respectfully?” Akira asked.
“Specifically. In regards to your most recent case.”
Akira sighed. Being seen as an errant aristocrat on an internship was advantageous, but it riled every bone in his 2000-year-old body. “What would you like me to say?”
“We’d like you to account for your work and take this job with a modicum of seriousness.” The potion bottles on the shelf rattled in a display of the Sage’s power. “You flounce around like the rules don’t apply to you because you’re quick with a sword, but I am a Sage of the Realm, not some wayward witch.”
Violence was not the only reason to fear the Fae. Hell, it wasn’t even the worst reason.
“Then, by all means,” Akira cracked his knuckles. “Let the performance review begin.”
CHARM ESTATE
GLIMMERBROOK
CALEB
“If he thinks for one second he can escape the wrath of a queen, he’s wrong!” Titania marched down the road towards the Charm Estate while Caleb barely managed to keep up with her.
“What are you doing? Can you please wait?”
“No. So help me, Caleb Vatore. If you want me to pull my punches—”
He sped up until he was beside her.
“—or if you plan to give me some lecture about not killing him when it’s apparent that I owe every woman—“
“Titania—”
“—every creature, Darrel Charm’s head, then you can go fuck yourself. I am a sovereign. A queen. And I will use every ounce of my power to—“
“Titania!” Shouting finally seemed to get her attention, and she paused. Caleb drew in a deep breath and released it. “I’m not going to tell you not to kill him. In fact, I will join you. But the way you’re storming over there with guns blazing means you are missing the thrill of the hunt.”
“The Fae don’t hunt,” she replied flatly.
Suppressing the urge to argue with her, Caleb flexed his fingers. “Well, vampires do. And it is worth the trouble, I assure you.”
Titania shook her head, bouncing on the balls of her feet. Everything in her expression said she was ready to disagree with him, and Caleb found it increasingly difficult not to smile. Arguing with her was more fun than he wanted to admit.
“Right now, Darrel Charm is holed up in his mansion, heart pounding while he reviews the numerous traps and protective spells he’s cast.”
He leaned in close until his mouth was by her ear. “He’s too proud to call for help, too enamored of his own skill. So he’ll be sitting there, stewing in terror, while we peel back every one of his defenses.”
Her head snapped up, and Caleb bemoaned the scarf that hid the fluttering pulse in her neck. “You really are Vladislaus’s son.”
“Anastasia’s,” he corrected with a smirk. “My father enjoys killing, but I get the love of the hunt from my mother.”
Let’s get the self centred bit out of the way: I recognise some of these poses -u-
I have that CC outfit Akira is wearing, I love it so much. Perfect for a powerful Fae! HOOOO DAMN that shot of Akira and Summer : O : O : O Haha yeah you may be the Sage, but that’s fuck-all compared to what the Fae could do to you bro! IDK why but I loved Caleb’s ‘love of the hunt from my mother’ line. Also I love Titania storming off on her murder-tantrum XD
I ALWAYS love when Mischief magic and the Fae are linked aahh < 3 That conversation with the Sage made me think of the meme with 'Source?' 'I made it up' XD THE MAGIC SCENES WITH TITANIA HOLY SHIT. I love your magic effects so much! They're so swirly! And I am ALWAYS here for Gone Feral!Caleb BTW.
HOY SHIT HOKY SHT SHOLKY SHITI it just keeps getting better. AKIRA's HORNS!!! Drop your whole glamour my man! Let me see the creepy fairy!!! I really like that sort of duality with Titania and Akira, with one being more outwardly dramatic than the other, but I like seeing him open up his true self a little. Also I am off to the Fae world. They can break my legs if they want, but at least they don't have interest rates. OH MY GOSH YES He's actually doing the 'dance to death' that I joke to you and Yimi about all the time! I love it. YES MORE NO GLAMOUR!!!! Her wings are so pretty I love them so much!!!!!
I might be misinterpreting something but the way Titania seems to give things that start as compliments and end as slightly (or sometimes straight up) insulting quite often reminds me a bit of Anastasia. OH FUCK NO YOU DO NOT SAY THANK YOU TO THE FAE lmao. Wondering what that favour will be….The Darrel interrogation scene was amazing and I loved all the lovingly gross description of Caleb draining him of his blood as well < 3 LMAO, Titania sitting on him, at least the fullness of his stomach won't be so bad when all that blood rushes elsewhere XD
I'm laughing because Vlad and Morgyn would have the biggest portraits in the house, and of course Morgyn's would be the one with ornate gold frame, they'd have it no other way. XD 'I'm a queen if you didn't remember' My immediate thought was ALSO 'how could you let us forget?' OOOH speaking of queens I AM EXCITED for Ana backstory!
Titania and Caleb, off to do a murder. I want to feel bad for what’s about to happen to Mr. Charm, but seeing what he’s been up to, instead I will settle for gleeful schadenfreude.
Interesting tidbit of information how the Fae can lie, and are only bound by their words if they’re caught lying. Something about Akira’s smile tells me that Rory just bit off more than he can chew… hoo boy, looks like he did. Aaaaand Akira just went from hot to absolutely terrifying, which sounds about right for the Fae 😅
[“Is this part of your general crusade against stairs?” ] 🤣 Caleb seems to be doing much better in his deathly game than the Sages. Then again, they also seem to like each other a fair bit more.
OH MY GODS even in this universe Akira is still haunted by Miko?! And she stabbed him with a dagger?! Wait, what did she do? “Put a fire inside him?” 🤔
Aaaah Caleb was doing so well and then he face-planted right before the finish line 😂 I wonder what part of his sentences set her off. Mentioning Bella? Not mentioning the two of them? Something else?