luverofralts

[luverofralts]

Arkhelios Adventures

"Are we here? Did we make it? Where are all the demons?"

Theo looked around to try to get a sense of his surroundings. He'd only seen a small piece of Jubilant Accosts on his last visit, and this place didn't look familiar to him. At least Adam was beside him, and not somewhere down the street. The portal had wanted them to arrive here to meet their mysterious host, but whoever was meeting them was late.

"I don't see any," Adam confirmed. "Maybe this is a safe area where the plague and demons and vampires haven't touched yet."

"We still need to find whoever is supposed to be meeting us," Theo insisted. He grabbed Adam's hand and placed it in his own before Adam could register what was happening. Once his brain had entertained fantasies of Theo wanting to hold his hand, it then realized that Theo was attempting a spell and a dangerous one in their situation.

"Theo, what are you doing?" Adam hissed. "People can see the giant ball of light you're making! You're going to draw every vampire and demon in the area here! If you're going to be so reckless, at least let me set up a secure position to defend you."

"With both of us, the spell will be more intense," Theo replied, rolling his eyes at the thought of basic safety. "We'll find our guide faster."

"Theo!"

"Hello there! You two must be my Tredonian students!"

A dark haired man jogged towards the teens, waving wildly.

"I'm Theo, and this is Adam," Theo greeted, throwing a quick "I told you so" look at Adam. "We weren't given your name, sorry. It was all very hush-hush and important when we left. Do you know Brion Pryor? Brion's my friend."

The man smiled politely in response.

"I've met his parents a few times over the years. They're a nice family. My name is Mita. My wife and kids are waiting at the house to meet you. It's not safe to linger in the streets for very long."

Mita turned and jogged back in the direction he'd come from, waiting for the teens to follow.

"See? My plan worked perfectly," Theo pointed out to his unamused ex-boyfriend. "With your way, we'd probably be dead in ten minutes."

"You can let go of my hand anytime now," Adam replied, pulling his hand quickly away and turning his back. "Your recklessness is going to get you killed someday, you know. I was reckless trying to see you after the accident, and now look what's happened to this realm. You and Despina both need to stop and think before you rush into things. Even Remy plans her schemes before she executes them. You never listen or think, and it's almost killed me before. I can't die here and end up in some weird reaperless afterlife away from my family, so for once in your life, Theo, think about the consequences of your actions. You can't save Sebastian if you're dead."

To his credit, Theo didn't snap angrily back at Adam. Using Sebastian's name seemed to remind him of his priorities.

"Remy would have had a better idea," Theo admitted. "I wish she was here with us. Despina too."

"Yeah, me too."

"Come on, boys! My house is just over here!"

Theo shot a quick look at Adam, raising his arm to signal that he'd heard Mita.

"We've got this, right?" he whispered, despite Mita being too far away to hear him. "This isn't a trap by a demon or something? Why wouldn't they at least tell us who we're supposed to be meeting with? I know things have been kinda crazy lately, but at least we should have had this guy's name before we left."

"They gave us swords," Theo pointed out, grabbing the hilt of his with enthusiasm. "Do you know how to use a sword? My dads would have lost their minds if I asked for sword lessons growing up."

Adam shook his head.

"With my parents? I'm pretty sure that my dad can't dress himself without magic, and Mom thinks that it's a nasty stereotype to use a sword, being the descendants of pirates and all. D-do you think that we'll have to stab somebody?"

"Probably," Theo concluded. "I'm sure you'll be a natural at it as a pirate stereotype. My dads don't even let me use the restaurant's sharp knives to cut food, so it's up to you to keep us alive in a swordfight."

Theo shot his ex a lazy smile, and suddenly, all the blood in Adam's body was rushing to his face as he remembered all the times that Theo had smiled at him like that in the past. He had to be misinterpreting that glance. Theo was just being kind because the stakes were so high. He definitely wasn't wanting Adam to protect him from danger, wielding a sword just like on the covers of the romance novels Elowen tried to hide from her siblings. Now, all Adam could think about was defending Theo from an evil pirate lord, while a shirtless Theo clung to him, overwhelmed by his swordsmanship.

"Adam? Adam? Did the dream plague get you already? Come on, Mita's waiting."

Adam snapped back to reality where a fully clothed Theo was staring at him anxiously.

"Right. The mission. I'm ready."

"Boys, this is my wife, Rinna, and our two kids, Bastien and Sidonie. There's some cats running around here too; I hope you're not allergic."

"My familiar is a cat, and Adam's not allergic," Theo replied. He felt a little like he was in class, having to tell important information about his medical history to a new teacher. Beside him, Adam remained silent, smiling politely at the adults who might be responsible for keeping them alive during their mission.

Without warning, a head popped out from the room behind Mita. An older teenage girl beamed at them, looking thrilled to meet outsiders.

"Hi! I'm Helle! I help Mita and Rinna when I can with the kids, and they let me stay here sometimes. I've never met anyone from outside of Jubilant Accosts before. With the rumour that you guys have a different biology than us, I was expecting you to have four eyes or something unholy like that."

Mita chuckled awkwardly at the comment, noting the boys' nervousness.

"Helle here is an artist. She sells her paintings in a store downtown. You should stop by it sometime."

Theo's face suddenly relaxed at the mention of art. Art was something that he'd recently taken an interest in just before his breakup with Adam, and it still seemed odd to Adam to hear me Theo talk about the subject with such enthusiasm.

"Have you been to Shadowvale? I went to Shadowvale and studied under Professor Daralis. I was pretty close to getting an A on my last project before I graduated. It was a portrait of one of the Four Peers. I left it up to interpretation of which Peer it was. Their armour all kind of looked the same."

Helle nodded immediately, completely understanding the artistic choice.

"They did all kind of look the same. Though there's always been something I've never liked about Sir Perforcé. Something about his mustache just...I can't explain it. I've done pieces about the other Four Peers though. I suppose that I'll have to make one of him someday to complete the collection."

"So, about our mission?" Adam asked loudly, hoping to drown out Theo's conversation so they could actually get directions. "Are we staying here with you and your family or is there a hotel somewhere nearby?"

Mita chuckled at the thought.

"No, you're definitely not staying here," he replied. "You'd have to sleep on the floor if you did, and you'd probably prefer something more comfortable. We barely have the room to fit us and the kids and cats."

"So we get our own base of operations?" Adam asked nervously. "Is it safe? Has it been checked for vampires?"

Mita cocked his head to the side, amused at the teen's priorities.

"Vampires have to be invited into a dwelling unless it's a public, non religious lot. You should be more worried about demons. They're the true threat to us. The plague is their creation."

"I've never tried oil paints before. They're far too expensive for my budget. What kind of brush would you use?"

"My dad bought me a set of brushes and I'm just using which ones feel right," Theo replied. "He bought me a book too, but I haven't read it. Who needs a book anyway?"

Adam shot a tired look at his ex-boyfriend and the artist he was droning on about paint with.

"I'm not afraid of demons," Adam declared. "I've already faced off against Coby and his partner and survived. I have a dark form, and Theo's descended from a Great Demon. We know how to handle demons, trust me."

"Your words are mysterious and strange, young Darktide," Rinna remarked. "You have the fire of Misty Darktide burning within you. Your ancestor shines bright."

Adam froze, suddenly wondering if there were other branches of the Darktide family that were sealed away when the realm was sealed. His mother had always been a snob about their ancestry, just as her parents had allegedly been and likely their parents too. Adam had lived with the legacy of his family all of his life, whether it was his troubled uncle, his mortifying mother, or any of the countless ancestors who chased after the most impossible and dangerous magic because they simply couldn't help themselves. With a realm this chaotic, how had it shaped the descendants of Misty Darktide trapped within it? Maybe the Darktide bloodline had died out in this realm. That might be for the best if they were anything like the Tredonian branch of the family tree.

"Uh, what was Misty like?" Adam asked, unsure if being associated with her was a good thing. "Piratey I'm sure, but anything else? No dream magic? No demon blood?"

"She eventually succumbed to the will of the Watcher," Rinna replied. She smiled, though the topic was a dark one. "She lived life wildly, and yet, all it took was one Ticktop golem to crush her rebellious spirit. The mechanical beast left her without legs and her willful spirit. She got peg legs to get around with, but the defiance never returned to her. Dacian Landegraab was blessed by the Watcher to have such a repentant and submissive bride. As you're from Tredony, I'm sure that you can appreciate this tale. Misty's fire burns in you, but you also have some of Dacian within you to temper that passion for the glory of the Watcher."

Adam smiled, hoping that his horror didn't show on his face. Rinna seemed to be devoted to the True Jacobean cause and strangely proud of her realm's dark history, so Adam didn't want to push this stranger. Who knew what dangers truly lurked in the hearts of religious zealots?

"That's very...enlightening," Adam said at last. If Despina had been there, she would have probably been on her sixth question about family trees and the cruelty of a patriarchal government, but Adam wasn't as fearless as his cousin. Asking certain questions of the wrong people could end this mission early.

"So I'm guessing that all the Darktides here are actually Landegraabs by name," he remarked. "Why didn't they just stay in Tredony where the Landegraabs lived if Misty was so happy to obey her husband? All of our history books said that Tredony won the war with Aarbyville."

"That's probably a discussion for another time," Mita interjected. "For now, let's get these boys set up so they can begin their work immediately. The demons won't wait for lectures on ancient history."

[luverofralts]

A quick-ish guide to the culture of The Sims 2 modding community.

Are you new to The Sims 2 community? Are you coming from more modern games, either in The Sims franchise itself or other contemporary games? Are you excited to start your #brand and become a #simfluencer and post your #earlyaccesscontent to support your #sidehustle?

Have a seat, then! Let's chat.

Hello, friend! My name's Pooklet. I've been playing since 2004 and creating since 2007. I'm by no means an expert in most forms of content creation itself, but I've been around since the heyday of The Sims 2, I've watched how community opinions have shifted (or not) since practically the beginning, and I'm hoping to give you a basic outline of the community culture that you can expect to encounter as a newcomer.

A very brief history of Sims 2 content monetization:

People have been trying to monetize content since there has been content to monetize, all the way back in the days of The Sims 1. We tend to call them "pay creators" and their websites "paysites." Some big names in this arena include The Sims Resource (their free-with-ads model is a relatively recent development, which is why you will find people to this day calling them T$R), PeggySims, Newsea, and many others that you can find on this handy website:

Paysites Must Be Destroyed

Now, if you have a glance at that website, you might be saying to yourself:

"But, that's illegal! I own the copyright to my custom content!"

Alas, no! Due to the wording of the End User License Agreement for The Sims 2, no custom content creator owns their creations for this game (or The Sims 1, or 3, or 4, for that matter, but we're talking about 2 right now). It all belongs to EA at the end of the day, and by installing and playing the game, you have agreed to these terms. Which means you have no individual, protected copyright, and it is perfectly legal for someone to download your paywalled content and then reupload it for free for others to enjoy. And they will!

Furthermore,

You are not making anything alone.

Everything from modding resources, to tutorials, to the mods required to fix disastrous glitches in the game code and make it playable at all, to the third party programs used to make any and all custom content, such as SimPE—all of these have been provided to you for free by other creators, many of whom have a usage policy that asks that people not use their freely-provided tools to make a profit. Although no one can be forced to follow a creator's policy, it is generally considered good manners to not try to make a profit off of someone else's free work. And if you are using these tools to make paywalled content, that's exactly what you're doing.

Pay creators have been ignoring these policies since the beginning of time, and so free creators likewise ignore their policies against sharing their paywalled content. Pay creators have also tried lots of different ways to keep their content exclusive, everything from trying to track leaks with slightly altered files to actively filling their content with malicious code. It has never worked.

Free creators have always found a way around these barriers. In fact, it's taken as something of a challenge to undermine monetization efforts. As you can see from Paysites Must Be Destroyed, there are entire teams of players devoted to reuploading paywalled content for free.

A culture of sharing.

The Sims 2 is something of a time capsule. At 20 years old, it predates a lot of the hyper-capitalist hustle culture that has infested every creative hobby. It is from a time when monetization was an outlier rather than the norm, and a much maligned outlier at that. This attitude has persisted for 20 years. Believe me when I say, you won't be the combo breaker. Especially now, given that The Sims 2 is not the most contemporary in the series and the community has shrunk considerably, down to the people who have either been here for a very long time, or newcomers that understand the community culture.

Also, it's just kind of not a great idea in general to try to make money off of a 20-year-old game with a pretty small community?

Like, I get that The Sims 4 is really saturated with pay creators and it's hard to get a foot in the door. I get that you might look at The Sims 2 and think that the small pond will give you room to be a big fish. It won't. You might get a handful of people willing to pay for your content, but at least one of those people will be resharing it for free.

Paywalls vs. optional donations.

Okay, so hopefully you now understand why people don't like it when you put content behind a paywall. But what about those Ko-fi and Paypal donation links you sometimes see at the bottom of people's downloads? Why is that okay, but a locked Patreon tier isn't? Well, because they're voluntary. No one is obligated to pay for that content to be able to download and use it. It's just a way for someone who does have a little extra cash to basically "tip" a creator whose content they like. You have no way of knowing whether the person who posts those links is actually receiving any donations. And that's kind of the point. Whether or not they receive any donations, they are still sharing their content, because they enjoy the hobby of making and sharing content.

"I can't make a living off of that!"

No, you can't. Because that's not what we do here. That is not part of our community culture for all the above reasons. If you want to make a reliable income off of your hobby, you're going to need to get a different hobby. Try Second Life! That is a community that actively encourages monetization. The Sims 4 allows for "early access" monetization. There's options out there for you, if what you want is to make a profit off of your creations for a game.

"Fine, what about monetized link forwarding services?"

Link forwarding services historically have malicious trackers or viruses embedded. People will also strip those and provide direct links to each other. Or they just won't download your content.

"What if I want to make YouTube videos of someone else's written tutorials and I enable ad revenue on them?"

Personally, I still think that's a dick move. I love video tutorials, I'm a very visual learner myself, and although you might feel entitled to compensation for reciting the steps of someone else's tutorial into a microphone and then editing and uploading the video, you're still monetizing someone else's freely-provided content. I would consider this an 'ask permission' scenario, one in which you tell the person, explicitly, that you will be making ad revenue off their work. If they're fine with that, then you're good! (For the record, I'm not fine with that.)

edit: more of of my thoughts on monetized youtube videos over here.

"What if—"

Look, no one can stop you from trying to monetize your content, or worse, someone else's content. But you will have the exact same arc as every pay creator who came before you: your efforts will be undermined at every turn, your reception in the greater community will be chilly at best, and it will become a battle between you and the folks resharing free reuploads of your content until any fun you initially had making content is gone.

"The steady erosion of every known social safety net beneath the crippling weight of end-stage, line-goes-up capitalism and the yawning abyss of poverty over which I am dangling has imbued me with such anxiety that I cannot engage with a hobby that precludes monetization. I am exhausted. I know no other way."

I get it, friend! I have lived in poverty all my life. I do not begrudge the impulse to find a way to make passive income off of your every waking moment. Increasingly, it seems like that is the only way to survive! Unfortunately, you will not be able to do that with this specific community. We know that we have something special here, having resisted monetization's encroach for so long, which makes us fight all the more viciously to maintain it. You are entitled to try to find ways to supplement your income, just not here. Personally, I consider that a feature, not a bug.

Bonus Round: Remember, That's Not Just Yours!

I said it earlier, but I want to reiterate: you are not making any TS2 CC alone. You are making it with tools, resources, knowledge and code that people have provided on the condition that they not be used for pay content.

To use myself as an example, "my" hair textures are a blend of resources provided by other creators. Namely, Nouk's original hair texture was edited by Vintage D, which I then further edited over the years, using parts by the creators Ephemera and Helga. It would be extremely shit of me to say "well, I think that the time that I put into my edit is worth money, so I'm charging for it" when the edits that I made would not exist without the work of those people. And it continues on down the line with edits that other people have made of my texture blends and color actions, and the content they make with them.

(If you see someone charging for these, btw, lemme know. I'd love to have a talk with them.)

In closing,

The knowledge base, the resources, the coding required to make any and all working content for The Sims 2 has been compiled for 20 years. Please understand, I'm not trying to denigrate anyone's creativity when I say: you cannot bring anything wholly "new" to TS2 CC-making, something that uses no one else's resources or programs, something you can point to and say "no one helped me with that. I did it all on my own. It is my property." Nor should you aspire to! The fun of The Sims 2 community is to share and share alike, to credit each other for our contributions, to hype each other up and iterate on shared works and resources. We've been doing it for 20 years, and hopefully we'll be doing it for many more! Wanting to be a #simfluencer is utterly antithetical to the community culture. No one is influencing anyone else. You need to leave that shit at the door if you want to be invited in.

TL;DR:

Don't show up to the commie circle-jerk trying to charge for handjobs. We're already giving them to each other for free, and nothing about your wrist technique is special enough to justify the cost.

[luverofralts]

Arkhelios Adventures

The mysterious warlock hadn't moved since Luna appeared, bowing until he was permitted to stand once more.

"Your Majesty," he breathed. "Whatever can I do to serve you? My sister gave me the words to speak at the portal, but I don't think she knew that you'd be summoned."

"At ease," Luna commanded, noting with delight the deference he showed her. It was nice to be treated like someone with rank again. It wasn't often that she walked among conscious people. "I need to have a conversation with Despina here, and then I'm going to need you to keep that portal open for me. Can you do that, Mordred?"

"A conversation?" Despina gasped, still amazed to see the ruler of the dream realm standing before her. "Mordred? Your sister isn't Acting Leader Maricourt-Toyonaga, is she? That's not a very common name outside of the magical or royal communities. She made you come here instead of her because she was afraid to go near the portal? That's messed up."

The mysterious warlock stared impassively at Despina despite her accusation.

"I've studied the foundations of dream magic at university," he replied. "I can't wield it, but I can defend against it better than my sister can. She's needed elsewhere, and I can better serve the coven here. It's an honour to serve where I can help the most, especially because I'm able to speak with Her Majesty."

"You both are tiring with your interruptions," Luna complained, catching both mortals' attention. "Despina Edana Tristine Darktide, pay attention."

Any doubts that Despina had about Luna knowing her true name were instantly squashed when a strong compulsion quieted her tongue and trained her eyes on the deity. She was being controlled by magic using her true name for the first time in her life and Despina was thrilled. Adam or Remy would probably be frightened or have a fit about that kind of magic being used against them, but this was confirmation of information Despina had no idea about just an hour ago. Another clue to her family history had been dropped and Despina was hungry for more.

"I need you to follow your cousin to Jubilant Accosts," Luna continued. "I was going to send you a message in a dream, but it looks like that's no longer needed. It's not always easy to find my way to the waking world for a simple conversation. You have your father's gift and your mother's blood, and two friends that can use dream and blood magic already in Jubilant Accosts. I am weakened in that realm and cannot intervene myself, so you must act in my place."

"Like using dream magic to save the realm?" Despina asked, excitement dancing in her eyes. "I get to do your job?"

"Not exactly. I rule over the realm of dreams, but much like Life, I was created for this position. The dream realm existed long before I was born, but the gift that passed from my father to your bloodline was too strong in me. I ascended to fill the vacant role of ruler of the dream realm, becoming a part of the very fabric of the realm. I cannot be removed from that realm without severe consequences, but as much as it is a part of me, it existed before I did. The Demon of Nightmares is millennia older than I am. He interacted with the dream realm for centuries before being cast into exile. There are things trapped in that land that even I have never seen before. I can access the dreams of the usual population of that realm, but I can do very little to interact with that realm. The dreams caused by this plague are impossible for me to enter. I cannot heal the victims or end their dreams. A thick wall hides them from me. You cannot do my job because even I cannot do my job there."

"So I'm a spy then? I need to see what kind of dream magic there is over there and who can help us?"

Luna nodded.

"There is one protector who I have only heard about in legends, who is supposed to be the equal of the Demon of Nightmares. The Dream Guardian was sealed away with the demon. Perhaps he can help you in your search."

"Don't bother looking, I killed him."

Luna groaned at the arrival of another Darktide who didn't feel that the rules of the universe applied to them.

"Master Darktide," she said gracefully, using all of her lifelong training as a princess to hide the edge in her voice. She truly was fond of Adam "Taisto" Darktide. He had spent his entire life striving to please the ruler of dreams with his own abilities, and he had been good company since his death. She didn't see him often, but when their paths crossed, Luna couldn't help but smile. For one who was once so lost, Adam certainly seemed to be finding his way lately.

But now the time for visits had passed. Luna had pressing matters to attend to and an overzealous father wasn't part of her plan.

Still, she knew the cost of this little visit, and he had to barely be holding himself together just to be here in this place. He was wearing the robes of her temple, unable to project any other image of himself to this realm with more personalized details.

"You killed the Dream Guardian?" Luna asked warily. "Why am I just hearing about this now? How? When?"

"Dad! What's Eero's true name?" Despina called out. "Did you write it down somewhere? Why is my middle name Edana? Theo said that he altered his true name, so if that's true, can I change it to something else?"

"Despina, come here." Adam wrapped his arms around his daughter to the best of his ability. His right arm had passed through her shoulder, but it was better than nothing. "I lost a lot of energy the last time we met, so I've been having trouble maintaining a solid projection. This may be the last time we see each other for a while. Maybe a long while."

"No! But you just got here! You can't just leave now! I wanted you to meet Jasper."

"The dead cannot walk the realm of living. Even using dream magic to project oneself is straining the rules of existence," Luna said gently. "There will be reapers always on the watch for him, and he will grow tired quickly. I'm surprised that your father has visited so many times already and not collapsed from the effort."

"I came to say goodbye and good luck," Adam assured his daughter, still attempting to maintain his form on this plane. "Maybe we'll see each other again when you get back."

Disappointment swept over Despina. She knew that her time with her deceased father wouldn't last forever, but it still stung to have to say goodbye to him.

"Wait-if you're here to say goodbye, and Princess Luna is here to make sure that I follow Theo and Adam, how did you guys know that I would be trying to sneak into Jubilant Accosts?"

"You didn't even make an effort to not tell people your plans," Luna replied, while Adam nodded behind her. "Plus, I know the Darktide family all too well. If they want something, they'll usually stop at nothing to get it, consequences be damned." She gestured at Adam. "The apple doesn't fall too far from the tree."

"It's what I would have done. Edana too." Adam confirmed.

Despina realized that her father was no longer using his sister's nickname and wasn't sure how to feel about it. After everything they'd been through as siblings over the years, it seemed that Edana's recent behavior had killed any desire for her brother to think of her fondly, and Edana seemed just as ready to hate the memory of her brother based on their last interaction. Despina was suddenly very glad that her aunt was no longer her and Eero's official guardian.

"You even stole one of those charmed amulets the boys took with them," Luna pointed out. "Anyone who watching you for an afternoon would have figured out your plan easily." When Despina looked aghast at how easily her plan was discovered, Luna decided to change tactics. "Ah, well, anyway. I'm glad that you volunteered for this mission on your own. It shows that you have strength and character and are willing to do anything in your power to help others. Your cousin does not have the ability to use dream magic properly like you do. He can attempt to bludgeon a problem with the strength he gets from Theo, but skill is needed to truly solve the many problems of Jubilant Accosts. You must learn to control your father's gift. There will be many chances to learn the secrets of the dream magic the Demon has hidden from our realm, but I wanted you to have this." The deity snapped her fingers, producing a thick textbook, which she immediately passed to Despina. "Your studies will begin in earnest with this to guide you. It has sat on my office bookshelf for centuries, waiting to be studied by a worthy witch."

Despina ran her fingers across the gold letters spelling, "Dream Magic: A Comprehensive Study, Compiled by Reyes St. Julian."

"It was a gift from my father," Luna said softly. "He always collected information on dream magic, partly to help him manage his day to day life, and partly to feel like a part of my very strange life. We'd sit for hours sometimes comparing notes. This book is everything we discovered during his life; it should be more than adequate to help you begin your journey."

Despina was speechless. She looked at the book in her hands in wonder.

Travis would die of jealousy if he knew that I had a book written by a king that was part of a private collection.

"Is there a copy that I could borrow?" Adam joked, looking very much like he wasn't joking. The very thought of a secret book written by his powerful ancestor was enough to spark a dangerous curiosity.

"You don't need the lessons," Luna snapped. "You've managed to bend the limits of such magic quite fine enough on your own. Now that Despina has been given the tools she'll need, let's circle back to you killing the Dream Guardian. You're too much of a Darktide to have come up with that scheme on your own, so I assume that this was Coby's plan?"

"The reapers were already gone, same with the Timelady. He needed someone who could wield dream magic against the guardian, and I did. Coby was the one who actually did the killing, but without my help, the guardian would still be alive."

Both Luna and Despina stared at Adam incredulously with this confession.

"What the hell would you do that for?"

Luna's question seemed more than reasonable to Despina. As she'd spent more time with her father, Despina had dismissed much of her father's past because he had truly repented for what he had done, but the memories of growing up in the shadow of his past deeds were slowly returning to her.

"Charlotte! He's coming!"

Despina jumped backwards, completely shocked at her father's outburst. Within a few seconds, Adam's face had relaxed, as though his sudden shouting had never happened.

"I know, I know, I'm an idiot," Adam sighed. "But Coby has this...power within him. When he's focused on you, it feels like you're the only other living soul in the universe and you'd do anything to make him happy...or else. I don't know if it's a form of magic or something he learned as an assassin. And Imogen? She could make any idea sound ingenious, no matter how insane it was. She would get this look in her eyes, and all of my willpower would just disappear. Edana tried to talk me out of our plan, but Imogen...Eden, you don't understand. The universe will bow before us if we can get this right. We can bring Dad back! No one will ever have to die again."

"Dad? Dad, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

Luna grimaced and shot Despina a sympathetic look.

"If there's anything you need to ask him, you'd better make it quick. This is going to get ugly. I'm sorry that I can't fix this. It's beyond my power when he's already pushed himself so far."

"What does that mean?"

"Eden will find us. She'll understand, I know she will. If I summon her, we can work together. We're always stronger together."

"I thought he was mad at my aunt? Why is he using her nickname and asking-"

"Your father cares about you a great deal," Luna interrupted, gently steering the young teen away from the ghost who was currently convulsing and shouting at someone who wasn't there. "It takes too much effort to project himself even once, and he's now done it multiple times to speak with you. Ghosts aren't allowed to pass the natural barriers, but your father was always known for his strength."

Luna paused for a moment, trying to find the right words. "Though their skills are nothing alike, your father wielded magic in the same manner as your cousin, using brute force to slam past barriers he didn't like. It's quite impressive what he's managed to accomplish. I truly do hope that you've inherited some of that raw power since, unfortunately, he didn't live long enough to become the warlock he could have been."

"What's happening to him? Can I help? Ugh, I need to know how to use dream magic now! I don't have the time to learn the basics when my dad needs my help right now."

"Only life can counter death. Grouping together won't do anything but make things easier for him. No, the original plan is the answer. The only barrier we can create to hold him off is one created from life. A sacrifice."

Despina's breath caught in her throat at her father's words.

"The plan. A sacrifice. Me and Travis and Eero. Why would you even say something like that? You told me you were sorry."

Luna sighed deeply. With a wave of her hand, Adam's body vanished from sight.

"Rest now," she whispered into the early morning air. "I will see the girl off in your stead."

"Child, dear child, he held on as long as he could," Luna said, hugging Despina tightly when her father couldn't. "This is the place where your father died. The trauma of his death, the memory of falling to this very ground as his life poured out of him...well, no man can escape Death forever. The strongest memory a mortal has is their last memory. It was only a matter of time before your father's last memories resurfaced in this place. He knew what would happen, and he still came to see you anyway."

"That was how he died? That sounded awful." Despina paused, suddenly unsure if she wanted to know more about her parents' lives before having her. She wanted answers to her many questions more than anything, but at the same time, she questioned whether she was prepared to hear those answers.

"Despina, this mission will be filled with uncomfortable truths," Luna warned. "You will learn disturbing information as you uncover your origins, that I'm certain of, but you can handle it. I know you can. Your father is at rest now, but he came to see you off despite the consequences to himself. You attend the best magical academy and have several friends willing to stand by your side no matter what. Remember these things when Jubilant Accosts seems dark. You will prevail."

"Now, there have been too many delays. Poor Mordred can't keep the portal open forever and we don't want to risk anything or anyone slipping through while we talk. It's time for you to join your cousin."

"My dad came here for me, knowing how badly he'd suffer for it, right?" Despina asked, staring nervously at Luna for reassurance. "Everything he once did, he regrets, so it's okay? My mom doesn't regret her actions, or so my dad says. I'm going to find out a lot of bad things about them, aren't I? Maybe it's easier not knowing."

Despina stared at the spot on the ground where her father had twisted in agony, reliving his death to see her. His last moments were apparently spent still thinking about sacrificing someone else to save himself. He had literally just completed a spell to sacrifice her, Eero, and Travis moments before his death. Even if he had apologized for it later on in her life, the reminder of it still felt like a gut punch.

And her mother never really felt remorse for her actions. She had worked with Coby to create Sebastian for nefarious purposes and apparently helped her father to murder the one guardian that could stand against the Demon of Nightmares. She came from Jubilant Accosts. That was her home, as far as Despina knew.

What else did they do if Dad just casually admitted to assisting a murder? Do I even want to know?

"It's never easy to know difficult truths," Luna said gently. "They are still the truth, and the truth must always be remembered. Your parents were people. Coby Wall is a person. People are flawed and broken, but at their core, they're only people, just like you. I can only imagine what you might find out regarding your family, but just try to remember that. The only monster you'll find is the Demon of Nightmares, the rest are simply mortals with a history of making bad decisions."

"I think Coby should count as a monster after what he did to his son," Despina murmured under her breath. Clearly, the deity wanted her through that portal and not discussing ethics, but Despina couldn't see the attempted mass murderer of her close friends and fellow students as anything other than a monster.

"Don't fall too behind your cousin," Luna said, gesturing again to the portal waiting for Despina. "I don't know who his contact is or where he's staying, so you will have to find him. Please take good care of my father's book. May you learn quickly and be successful."

With a nervous gulp, Despina crossed the magical threshold, disappearing from sight.

Luna sighed with relief once Despina had passed the threshold.

"Finally. It's like herding cats with that family."

"Her aunt has obtained a reputation for being difficult," Mordred agreed. "Her cousin as well for that matter."

Luna frowned, remembering the guilt inflicted upon Adam Maricourt Darktide because he'd improperly summoned her in an attempt to see his boyfriend.

"She's a gifted young witch, but I hope I'm not placing too much on her with this mission. She reacted badly to the reminder of her father's misdeeds. Perhaps I will have to find a way to join her; she's still very young and naive."

"Can you join her?" Mordred asked curiously. "As you said, the Demon of Nightmares controls Jubilant Accosts and has had a lot more time to understand the dream realm. Going to his realm may be a trap for him to take your place or exposing you to his plague so you spread it further."

Luna frowned. This wasn't what she wanted to hear, but she'd already come to the same conclusion herself.

"Maybe if I project myself like Adam did?" she wondered. "Just long enough to find Lukas and hear their theories while steering this young Darktide in the right direction. I will have to think about it. I can't risk leaving my realm defenseless when Xexys is looking for signs of weakness."

"My sister has been impressed with what she's seen so far from the girl," Mordred said. "Ever since the attack at the academy, she has been determined to fight anyone or anything that might be responsible, even when told to leave it to more experienced witches. She's driven, which will help her rise through the ranks quickly...if she survives this that is."

Luna nodded, her head still running through ways she might be able to help Despina and her cousin.

"If she's anything like her father, she'll be monstrously powerful; nightmare that haunts her enemies even past death. And if she's like her mother? God help us all."

[luverofralts]

Arkhelios Adventures

A lone figure stood at the entrance to the old Pleasantview palace, watching as Adam and Theo approached the gate.

All that remained of the palace was broken stones and wood that had split in countless directions. To the untrained eye, the ruins might look abandoned and sad, but there was a power there that needed to be protected. Countless people had met their end on the property, so many that efforts to locate just how many bodies were buried on the lot had failed. There were too many graves and centuries of history to comb through. It was easier just to build a new palace and leave the dead to rest in the ruins.

The long, bloody history of Pleasantview had taken its toll on the land. Adam tried not to imagine how many people had died just in the small area where he stood, but his mind kept rebelling. His current guess was at least five people. He didn't have the slightest clue of how accurate that guess was. The only thing he knew for sure was that his uncle had died on this lot nearly twenty years ago. Adam wasn't sure if that fact made it more or less likely that his ghost would reappear. He certainly hoped not, unless his uncle actually had something relevant to tell him about his supposed "destiny." Despite Despina's personal hopes, Adam could happily go the rest of his life without seeing his uncle's ghost again.

"In the name of Malus the Vile, prepare thyself for thy perilous journey," the man declared. His voice boomed in the darkness, sending a chill down the teens' spines.

Adam and Theo shared a worried look. Alicia Maricourt had woken them up at three in the morning, handed them their belongings, and teleported them to the edge of the ruins of Pleasantview's oldest castle. She refused to go any further, just in case she did succumb to the plague, leaving the coven without a leader once more. Instead, she promised that a powerful warlock would open the portal for them. She never mentioned how chilling and mysterious this warlock would be though.

"Bow! Acknowledge the spirits who remain here and ask for their blessing on thy journey!" the man demanded.

The teens didn't question the order. They immediately bowed, looking around them for evidence of the spirits they were bowing to.

"Who is this guy?" Theo whispered. "Is he really from Jubilant Accosts or is he part of our realm?"

"Her Majesty Queen Claudia permits thee to walk upon this sacred ground, and the spirit of Malus the Vile will guard all young Tredonians to the realm where he rests. I call for the guidance of Her Majesty Luna St. Julien, ruler of the realm of dreams. May she light the way for thee when the nights are dark and dreams are treacherous. Be swift in thy journey for the Demon of Nightmares shows no mercy to trespassers."

Adam was too anxious to reply. He could feel the gold eyes of their mysterious host watching his every move and there was no way that Adam would make him mad just to answer Theo's question.

Despina looked over her shoulder nervously, half expecting some kind of security team to jump out from the shadows and arrest her for trespassing.

It was true that she hadn't been invited by the coven to join Theo and Adam, but she knew that they were making a mistake. She could do dream magic and she had a personal connection to Jubilant Accosts that Theo and her cousin didn't. Her mother had lived in Jubilant Accosts, and so had her father. There were answers there about her mother's family and no one was going to tell her about them unless she took action. She was going to Jubilant Accosts no matter what the cost to her academic record. Theo and Adam needed her, and she needed answers.

"Approach the portal!" The warlock's tone implied that he wasn't going to be waiting if either boy stalled for time. It was now or never.

"We've got this," Adam whispered, giving Theo a weak smile. "This is exciting. We're going to save everybody and learn new magic."

The early morning air was still cool on his skin, forcing Adam to shiver again.

"This will bring Sebastian back. This will bring Sebastian back," Theo chanted under his breath, hoping that if he repeated the words enough to himself, he'd actually start to believe them.

"With the blessing of the queen and acting leader Maricourt-Toyonaga, enter the portal," the warlock continued. "You will be met on the other side by a trusted ally of the coven. May your journey be fruitful; there are many who depend on your work."

In the ruins of what was once the royal dining hall, a deity answered a summons. It had been a very long time since she'd been summoned in an archaic prayer for guidance. Truthfully, she was surprised that anyone still made requests for her appearance in these modern times. Leave it to the Pleasantview coven to accidentally call for her, no doubt just to impress others. She could remember the years her father and sister governed an empire by that same need to assure others how great and powerful Pleasantview really was.

Luna looked around at her surroundings and couldn't stifle the sudden rush of memories that flooded her mind.

Her father used to playfully chase her around the large kitchen and open stairway as a child until she tired herself out for bed. The remnants of one the stairs still stood, broken and charred, but still there. Her sister had gotten married in the courtyard just past the strange little warlock. Once, there was a beautiful rose garden beside the courtyard. Now, it was only a memory.

"My child, I have answered your summons," Luna declared. It was best to keep things formal for now until she knew what she was dealing with. A diplomatic situation could be ruined if she just appeared and asked, "what the hell do you want from me? Frankly I thought you guys forgot how to summon me."

Immediately, the warlock dropped to his knees, startled by the presence of the deity, despite having called for her.

Despina felt something in the air change as Adam and Theo entered the portal and vanished from sight. They were gone, and she was still trespassing on royal property, trying to follow them.

She wasn't certain how she was going to enter that portal without that mysterious warlock noticing and stopping her. Her current plan was to just make a run for the portal, but Despina wasn't sure if she could run fast enough to evade his magic.

"Despina Edana Tristine Darktide! Wait a moment! I must speak with you."

Despina tried not to let the strange glowing woman see how startled she was. All of her attention had been on beating the warlock to the portal and she'd completely forgotten to check for anyone behind her. This woman seemed a little odd to be royal security, but who else would be here?

"I'm sorry! I just wanted to see my friends leave safely! I wasn't going to touch anything, I promise!"

At least if she reports me, she has the wrong name.

"This is your true name," the woman replied cryptically. "The name your father whispered in his heart at your naming. Do you not know it?"

Despina's breath caught in her throat.

"My true name? How do you-That's not on my records...at least not the ones my school has anyway. Wait, just my dad named me? Wasn't my mom around to do that? Did he name Eero too? Did my mom like my name? Where was she? Did something happen when we were born?" She paused, finally settling on the obvious question. "Who are you?"

Luna tried to reply, but was quickly interrupted by Despina.

"You have the same markings on your face as Princess Luna!" she gasped. "You could tell what I was thinking and you apparently know my true name! You're the god of the dream realm!"

Luna nodded. Before she could reply to this realization, Despina was already talking rapidly to herself.

"So that's why I have difficulty summoning the Maricourt wand! I've been using my name, but not my true name! Everything makes sense now, but how was I supposed to know my true name was different than what was given to my aunt? Wait! I was born in Charlotte Maricourt's hidden base without a proper birth certificate, so how do I know my birthday is really my birthday or that my name is really Despina? I mean, besides the god who just told me it was my name. What's Eero's true name? Is his name really Eero?"

"Your twin's name really is Eero, though I cannot tell you his true name. That is for him alone to know, just as I cannot share yours with him. There is much to discuss, young witch, and little time to waste. You need to be prepared."

"My middle name is Edana? I don't love that. Is Tristine from Mom's side of the family or after Dad's middle name? I never thought I'd even have a middle name, and now I have two!"

"Child, the portal will only remain open for so long." Purple smoke wrapped itself around Despina, demanding her attention.

"Right, I'm sorry!" Despina replied, her focus now entirely on the deity before her. "I'm sorry, I've just never heard that name before. It's so exciting. But what were you saying about the portal? I swear that I wasn't going to touch it. Please don't tell the queen that I followed my cousin onto forbidden land. I can't be expelled from school when there's so much that I haven't learned yet. Please?"

Luna sighed, mentally comparing the two Darktide cousins and the level of frustration they each had caused her.

"Now that I'm here on the physical plane, we have much to discuss. I need you to follow your cousin. He cannot fail and he needs your help."

[luverofralts]

Arkhelios Adventures

"Hey, it's me. I'm here to say goodbye before I leave. I hope you can hear me. I miss you."

Theo kissed Sebastian's forehead softly, still looking for signs that he might miraculously wake up despite knowing it was impossible.

"I'm going to find out how to cure you," Theo promised, feeling tears spring to his eyes. Sebastian was deathly still. He didn't even look like he was sleeping, like Master Maricourt-Toyonaga had promised. If it wasn't for the shallow breaths Sebastian made or the machine monitoring his vital signs, Theo could easily believe that he was dead.

Theo collapsed in a chair, rubbing his aching temples. It had been a hectic day, full of drama and anxiety.

Alicia Maricourt had arrived early that morning to collect Theo from his parents to begin his important mission to Jubilant Accosts. Even with Evren there to explain things, Theo could see how much his parents objected to this decision. Somehow, Roman didn't embarrass himself or his son, though Abe still had to pry Roman from Theo so that he could get a hug for himself.

Then came the paperwork and training notes that Theo had barely registered. His personal items were stored in the luggage he would bring through the portal, and he was given two extra wands in case he accidentally lost or broke his. Theo could summon the Maricourt wand, and he truthfully preferred wandless blood magic, but having backup wands seemed like a good idea. He had handled wands at Shadowvale, but who knew what was left in such a chaotic realm?

After another briefing from Evren, Theo was allowed to remain in the academy for the night and to visit with those suffering from the plague. The coven wanted proof that Theo and Adam could be exposed to the illness without harm before they were sent into a realm full of it. Evren hadn't mentioned that part of the plan to Theo's parents, but he felt confident that Theo wouldn't be in any danger.

Theo was grateful to spend one more night in the place that had always felt like home to him, and even more grateful to see Sebastian again before he left. Remy, Sebastian, and Master Maricourt were all contained in a sterile environment under quarantine and in stable condition, but made no movements aside from their shallow breathing.

Dream. Break into their dreams. See what they see. The demon is weak under the barriers he creates.

Theo groaned, smacking his head with his hand, then giving up on the effort.

"I can't use dream magic," he hissed at voices only he seemed to hear. If anyone else were there with him, he was sure that he'd look insane. Kind of like Rien did when she spent hours conversing with the air. "Dammit, go back to haunting my sister! I thought you hated me or whatever for being too demonic. I don't want to hear you anymore!"

You still must know. The demonic is distasteful to us, but you are a Bellamy by blood, Heir of Dorhack.

"Know what? I told you, I can't use dream magic! Is there some kind of blood magic I could try? This demon of nightmares is still a demon, right? Can I use demonic magic?"

Theo physically recoiled from the angry hissing that flooded his mind at the mere mention of demonic magic.

"Hey! I didn't ask to hear you! Clearly, my great-grandmother liked demons if she was friends with Kamalani and made a deal with her! You're hypocrites. Now tell me something useful for once!"

Your Darktide and his cousin can wield it, and with your help-

Theo ground his teeth at the reminder of Adam's abilities. Once again, Adam's abilities had nothing to do with what Theo himself could do to help save Sebastian and get rid of the voices that were driving him mad.

"He's not my Darktide!" he interrupted angrily. "My Darktide is right there, in a coma!"

Which is why you need to get into his dream. The Nightmare Demon had only a few weaknesses when we shared a realm. He is vulnerable if you can break into a dream. He has natural enemies to hold him at bay: the Time Lady of Ticktop and the Dream Guardian. He can infuse his curse into objects like amulets.

"Which is why the coven is giving us amulets to ward him off," Theo replied, rolling his eyes. "Whoever we're meeting at the portal said that amulets could hold a spell to weaken the demon's power if cast from someone who sealed the realm to begin with. Lukas is nowhere to be found, but legend has it that both Life and Death sealed the realm, so the queen's parents cast the spell as a proxy for Death. Weren't you listening when this happened or did you leave me to bother Rien? You can leave again anytime you want and never come back."

They only work in the sealed realm and will be less powerful now that the realm is changing to be more like this one. His amulets still hold their power in his realm, but may reach further than we know. Our memories are long, but so is his confinement. He is a problem we thought long solved until your youthful stupidity and an assassin changed all of that.

"Hey, meeting in the dream realm was Adam's idea, not mine," Theo protested. "I didn't have a say in that. You can't guilt trip me for something I didn't do."

Your Darktide is cunning, yet inexperienced. He would be an excellent addition to our bloodline in time. There is very little demon in him, and what little there is, is rooted in greatness.

"He has a dark form now. That's not too demony for you? What the hell do you guys care about my ex-boyfriend? We're over with. Done. I'm with Sebastian now."

The one who recognized that your relationship wouldn't last and tried to protect you by leaving? You're so like your father.

"Cool. I don't care what disembodied voices think about my love life. If you can't tell me something that I can personally do to stop this plague, then stay out of my head."

"Theo? Are you talking to someone? I can come back later."

Your Darktide has approached the room.

"Yeah, I have eyes, jackass. Thanks for all your help."

"I'll come back, you're clearly busy. Sorry."

"Adam, it's fine. Sorry, things have just been weird lately and I'm going a little crazy. Come in and sit with me if you want."

Adam nodded slowly, looking around the room for another person or a telephone that Theo could have been talking to, but found nothing. He stood awkwardly despite Theo's invitation. He didn't want to make whatever was happening with Theo worse.

"How was the wedding?" Theo asked, still looking distracted by something Adam couldn't see.

"It went well. My nephews were born shortly after the ceremony. Their names are Gerard and Christopher. Everyone is really happy. Miruna seems temporarily distracted from all of...this."

Adam gestured towards the still bodies of his sister and father and Theo sighed heavily.

"Yeah. I hope we fix this mess soon. Master Maricourt-Toyonaga says that they'll be okay, but I don't know. They look dead to me. Sebastian's skin is cold and clammy. I hate this."

"You can touch them?" Adam asked with surprise. "I thought that touching them was dangerous."

"Not to us," Theo replied, rolling his eyes like Adam was one of his disembodied tormentors. "We're immune, remember? You're the only one who has fought off the plague, so what's the danger? I thought maybe if I held him...that it had been enough time...that...nevermind. It's stupid."

"No, I understand. I had the same thought."

Adam pulled up a chair beside his twin sister. His father looked calm and peaceful just as he always did so Adam could rationalize away his fears about his father. Remy, on the other hand, was impossible to see in this condition. His twin was always a hurricane of emotion, scheming, and action, and to see her lying as still as a corpse before him, broke Adam's heart.

"Rem, I'm going to fix this," he vowed, taking his twin's hand in his. "I won't let you and Dad down."

Adam saw Theo sit down next to Sebastian and tried to avert his eyes. It felt rude to stare at this private moment of grief and besides that, Adam didn't need the reminder that Theo had feelings for someone else on top of his own grief.

Theo didn't have any more words for Sebastian. When tears began falling down his face, Adam turned to face his father, giving Theo the space he needed. The last person he would want comfort from had to be Adam.

"So I guess that we're really doing this. Tomorrow, we won't be in this realm for who knows how long? If we can't cure this plague, we may never see our families again."

Adam's words were resigned and hopeless. Seeing the victims of the plague in the flesh was a jarring reminder of everything they stood to lose. If Xexys and Coby couldn't be stopped, then the entire realm might fall, taking the rest of their homes and families with them.

"No pressure," Theo whispered in a hushed tone. "It's just us and whatever the hell Lukas is up to. I'm sure our contact in Jubilant Accosts will be nice and things will go really well."

"This place sounds terrifying. How bad is it from what you remember from Shadowvale?"

"It's where Coby feels at home outside of Pleasantview, so it's probably not great," Theo replied. "But we'll probably see some more werewolves like Brion and maybe some vampires. That sounds pretty cool. Maybe it won't be all that bad."

"Your dad is going to freak until you come home," Adam pointed out. "Maybe my mom will be better when we get back, but Ewan says she's still pretty messed up. She won't even mention me. I don't know if she'll ever love me again. If anyone will."

Theo reached his hand out to hold Adam's without warning, making Adam jump slightly at the touch of skin.

"Hey, your mom loves you. Lots of people love you. We're going to do this and make everything better. You'll see. Think of everything we've done together, and it's obvious how powerful we are when we need to be. You have some strange dark form no one has seen before, and the ability to use dream magic! We're going to save people and then come home before my dad has a breakdown. It'll be fine."

You love him as well and he knows it. It might be helpful to be honest with him should something unfortunate happen.

Theo groaned and squeezed his eyes shut as hard as he could, trying to silence the voices. At first, he couldn't believe that ancient, wise voices could be as gossipy and scheming on such an individual level, but then he thought of Rien, who frequently made comments about the feelings of those around her, especially if she could advance a relationship or meddle in a perfectly good friendship.

So this was his sister's life. These weren't just omnious voices from the past, but spirits who truly did enjoy changing the affairs of mortals. This was hell. He was in hell. Theo suddenly looked forward to stepping through that portal if only to be rid of the voices and their never-ending chatter.

"Hey, is something wrong? You look weird. Are you okay?"

Adam gave Theo's hand a quick squeeze for reassurance, startling him out of the angry fog that seemed to have enveloped him.

"I'm fine! We should go to bed! I mean sleep! Master Maricourt-Toyonaga said she'd be here early, so we should get some rest before tomorrow. Who knows what will happen?"

Adam nodded his agreement, noting that Theo was still gripping his hand despite his urgent need to retire for the night.

"Okay, I'll see you in the morning then. If you need anything, I'll be in my room."

Souls power Jubilant Accosts. Souls that are sacrificed, souls that are set aflame, and souls who find their mate. Be careful to guard yours from the Nightmare Demon, but don't guard it too tightly. Love is a power of its own.

"Yeah, yeah. Souls, magic I can't do, etc. Does Rien listen to this all the time? You guys are kinda the worst. When I get back home after all of this, you and I are never speaking again. Until then, I'll be heading to bed alone."

[luverofralts]

Arkhelios Adventures

"He's perfect! Just look at those little fingers. That little nose! It makes you want more of your own, doesn't it, Ewan?"

Ewan Goldman smiled adoringly at his wife as his grandson yawned.

"It does. I miss this age. Remember Claudia in those fuzzy jammies Gee bought her? Or Travis and his favourite board book? You couldn't pry it away from him."

"We were blessed to have the family we have," Anna agreed, still tickling her grandson's foot. "We'll just have to live vicariously through our children. Claudia had Victoriana so young, it feels like an eternity since we've held a grandchild."

"Vicki will be thrilled to meet her little brothers once she gets off her phone. She could actually meet her brothers instead of posting about them for her friends."

"That's teenagers for you, darling," Anna laughed. "Let's just enjoy these babies before they learn how to text."

Claudia held her older son, rocking him gently while she plotted to steal his brother back from her parents. They were both perfect in their mother's eyes, just as Victoriana was. It was a little early to tell what the twins had inherited from their parents, aside from the obvious green skin. The oldest boy had red hair like the Toyonagas on Anna's side of the family, and the younger twin appeared to have blonde hair. That could have been from the Toyonaga or Siew side, but if Claudia had to guess, that blonde might fade to silver like Victoriana's had.

Her parents looked like they'd never heard the name Coby Wall. Both of them were beaming, utterly focused on the newest members of their family, and not the problems that had loomed over two realms. Claudia was glad to see them smile. They deserved to be happy, even if it was only for an afternoon.

"Excuse me, monarch coming through. For the good of your nation, I need to see those babies!"

Claudia turned to find her cousin elbowing her way through the busy room with determination. Claudia couldn't help but laugh at the sight.

"Here, Your Majesty. Is this view enough to keep you from declaring war?"

Maura’s face lit up at the sight of the young prince.

"Baby!" she squealed, instantly making faces at the infant. "He's adorable, oh my god! Where's the other one?"

"My parents seem to have taken him hostage," Claudia chuckled. "I may never see my son again."

"Ah, well, I don't want to bother reapers," Maura said, scrunching her nose at the idea. "I was already in the waiting room of the afterlife once; I don't want to get sent there again. That just means that I can spoil this little guy."

"Miruna was lucky to have held both boys before my parents barged in. She's resting now, but maybe by the time she wakes up, my parents will take a hint."

"You are the mother here and a queen," Maura reminded her cousin. "They're not even alive."

"So go over and tell them that," Claudia challenged, making her cousin laugh.

"They can only kill you if you're on their list, right? No, your parents look happy, I can't interrupt that. I'm sure I'll see both of these handsome boys a lot in the future. Do you have names for them yet? Let me guess, traditional Pleasantview names? Casper? Archer? Beau?"

"You're looking at Prince Gerard Ewan Medora Goldman Goss," Claudia announced, holding her son up for Maura to have a closer look at him. "My parents have kidnapped Prince Christopher Ewan Lind Goldman Goss. So, both a little bit traditional and a little more recent in the family tree. Both of our father's are named Ewan, and with her father being in the condition he's in, we wanted to honour them both."

"Ugh, if I have to greet another person named Ewan, I'm going to scream," Maura stated. "And it's all after one single guy! It's insane! My court is just a gathering for Ewans."

"It is not," Claudia laughed. "We definitely kept that trend in mind though. I think my dad was happy with the final decision. We don't need Ewan III Goldman."

Claudia shrugged.

"So what's the deal with Miruna's mom? Your parents are here, her father is in a coma, and her mom's a noshow at her daughter's royal wedding? She doesn't want to see her grandchildren? If my mother wasn't dead, she'd be fighting reapers right now just to see the new princes. A lot of our extended family would."

"I don't know. She might be dead. Miruna never speaks about her, and Master Maricourt is usually busy cleaning up his other ex-wife's messes to bring her up. She's never been a part of Miruna's life as long as I've known her."

"And you've never had suspicions about her after my own "dead parent isn't really dead" drama? I would be getting all the intelligence I could on this lady if I were you."

"How many assassins do you think there are? Some people just have normal parent drama, Maura. Not all of us can be the daughter of an assassin."

"Didn't your dad find out that he would have been king of Pleasantview had his older sister not murdered him? Didn't your uncle find out that his sister lied about how his mother died and that her family wanted to get in contact with him?"

Claudia frowned, trying to weigh her family drama with Miruna's family drama. Were the Goldmans cursed because they were royalty or did other families experience the same level of tragedy as they did?

Before Claudia could answer, Maura leaned towards her cousin, looking for eavesdroppers.

"Did I hear right that Edana confessed to killing her father? I know all the coven disciplinary records are supposed to be sealed to outsiders, but I have my sources, and they said that she started confessing that she and her brother killed their father somehow! Is that true? Can she be expelled from the coven for that?"

"Well, you might want to ask him about it," Claudia replied, holding up Gerard for Maura to see. "Either he or his brother will be in charge of all that someday. I'm just the legal head of the coven."

"You can't spare witch gossip for your favourite cousin? I thought we were friends. With my dad and a plague on the loose, the least you can do is cheer me up with whatever's happening with the coven. My cousin happens to be dating Evren, so you might as well just tell me. Adrian will tell me, but he usually gets the details wrong."

Claudia rolled her eyes. Well, at least Maura seemed to be recovering from the trauma her father had inflicted on her. She hadn't been truly gossipy in weeks.

"Edana didn't confess to murder; she accused her brother of being responsible for their dad's death. She would never confess to anything even if she had done it. The coven pulled Josh Darktide's death records just to be sure, and his death was ruled accidental. No grey areas, no suspicions. He died pushing his kids to the ground and taking the full force of a miscast spell himself. There was even video from the coven courtyard cameras. If he hadn't acted when he did, both siblings would have been lost. He died heroically."

"So her brother cast the spell and that's why she blamed him? I can see her point, I guess."

"It was a high level spell that needed at least two people," Claudia informed her cousin. "They both cast it, so she's just as guilty as he would be. Though it does seem in character for Edana to ignore her own guilt if she can blame someone else for it."

"Ugh, of course she would. It sounds to me like both Darktide siblings had a taste for magic above their skill level." Maura paused to remember her first point now that a juicy murder cover-up didn't seem to be happening. "So what's happening then? Edana gets a slap on the wrist for verbally attacking an apprentice of the coven?"

"Well, there was talk of dumping her in Jubilant Accosts to see if she could find any traces of her brother there, but it was shot down because of her lack of emotional stability. She's currently housed in a magical treatment community and forbidden to leave the premises. I think that's punishment enough unless new evidence comes to light."

"That's very anticlimactic," Maura pouted. "What about Edana's son? Everyone knows that he and Theo are leaving to do something in Jubilant Accosts. Even I was briefed on the beginning discussions for that, but I haven't heard anything from Pleasantview about it in days."

Claudia groaned and held up her son as a defense.

"I've been a little busy," she replied. "A rushed wedding and preparations for two new infants have taken a bit of a backseat to checking in with the coven. Alicia has it covered for now. You couldn't tear her away from those meetings if you tried. The boys leave in two days at the most, hopefully sooner. Alicia will escort them to the portal and meet with their ally. It was deemed too risky for me to be anywhere near a portal that could expel disease or an angry assassin at me, so sadly, I'll just be getting reports on the matter. After Miruna lost her dad to this illness, even temporarily, I want to make sure that I'll be around for my kids. That's all I know on the subject, so either take this baby so I can steal his brother back from my parents or go to the coven yourself and ask them for drama."

Adam sat on the floor of his royal accommodations, trying to compose himself. His dance had gone well with Leah, so well that they'd snuck upstairs afterward. Travis hadn't seemed to object or even notice that they'd left, so Adam's hookup would probably go unreported.

Leah was a great girl, but like Reese, she didn't see a future with Adam. Not even for as long as it would be before he was sent to Jubilant Accosts. Leah had kissed him goodbye and wished him good luck on his upcoming mission, and then she'd left. Remy would have been proud of him for having a wedding fling, but she wasn't around to cheer him up like she usually did. And Theo?

Adam sighed at the thought of Theo. He was never going to act on his feelings for Adam after being cheated on, so Adam had to try to push down his own feelings so they could work together. It wouldn't be easy, but he had to do it. Too much was riding on their mission to Jubilant Accosts to jeopardize it with pointless feelings.

[luverofralts]

Not-So-Simstober rises from the ashes!

Thank you to the tumblr help desk for finally getting back to us (and fixing the problem!!), and the loves who noticed we were missing! The blog is once again live!

When the spooky spirit strikes, feel free to explore the blog for past haunted creations while you wait for new prompts to drop Sept 1st. 🧡🎃 The challenge, as always, begins on the first of October.

Prompt suggestions and team member applications are open from now until the last week of July. Feel free to drop an ask or message @gumdropgamespot directly. Of course, the biggest support will always be uplifting the community when October comes around!

Glad to be back on your dark street-corner!

🖤 Your Best Ghouls 🖤

[luverofralts]

Arkhelios Adventures

"Adam, you look so handsome in your uniform. Dad would be proud of you if he were able to be here."

Miruna kissed her half-brother affectionately while Adam tried not to bolt from the room in a panic. Today, he'd be walking Miruna down the aisle in front of tons of people, in the heart of Pleasantview's impressive palace. There were so many things that could go terribly wrong. Adam could trip and make his very pregnant sister fall. He might choke and forget the few words that he was expected to say. Theo could be there as a last-minute request from Victoriana, making Adam feel awkward and distracted from his task.

"Relax, Adam," Miruna ordered, noticing the anxiety clearly written all over his face. "It's my big day, not yours. All you have to do is walk down the aisle and then you're done. I really appreciate you doing this for me."

"Of course," Adam replied. "You're my sister. I know we don't see each other often because of how busy you are, but I love you. Being here with you makes missing Dad and Remy hurt a little less. My big sister can get them back one day, even if I fail. They'll come back."

Miruna stretched out her back, trying to massage an area where one of the twins loved to kick.

"That's the spirit. They will come back to us, I believe that. Ugh. Never get pregnant, Adam. It's just the worst. Make Theo have the kids if he wants them."

Adam's face flushed at the suggestion that he and Theo would ever do anything that could result in a pregnancy again.

"I-I'll keep that in mind."

"I'm so proud of you and everything you're doing. You're an excellent queen, and my favourite daughter."

Queen Claudia laughed as her father engulfed her in a hug.

"I'm your only daughter, so that doesn't count."

"Still. I'm proud of how mature you are for going through with this, despite how your relationship with Miruna has been. This is the best option for the country, the coven, and your children."

Claudia nodded in agreement. She knew that this was her only option, but it was still nice to have her father's opinion on the matter. This wedding and the impending birth of two grandsons were helping Ewan relax slightly from the stress at work.

Apparently, Lukas was about to make some move on Jubilant Accosts and all of the reaper teams gossiped relentlessly about what their role would be in this crisis. No one blamed Ewan for being the undead master of the Pleasantview assassin, but people still stared awkwardly at him when he walked by. It was like reliving the first few months after he'd found out about his tyrant biological father, where every reaper didn't know whether to bow to the rightful king of Pleasantview or to avoid him entirely because he must be secretly as bad as his father. It had been hell and it was going to start all over again because of this assassin business, Ewan just knew it.

"I love you, Dad. Things are going to get better, I promise. Pretty soon you'll have two new grandkids and you won't even think about work."

Ewan smiled gratefully at his daughter's thin attempt to console him. Her heart was in the right place, but every life Coby Wall took weighed heavily on Ewan. If he hadn't died, he would have been king and could control the assassin. If he hadn't become a reaper, the assassin wouldn't be bound to someone who couldn't command him. It was all entirely out of Ewan's control, but he still felt incredibly guilty.

Loud processional music began to play, jolting Ewan from his self loathing.

"Oh! We'd better get out there before everyone thinks you're leaving Miruna at the altar!"

Adam walked slowly, trying not to trip over Miruna's gown. There was hardly anyone at the ceremony, so at least some of his nerves were soothed. The Goldman family, Queen Maura, Acting Leader Maricourt, and a vaguely familiar teen girl were the only guests. The wedding must really have been rushed if these were the only guests. The wedding of the Queen of Pleasantview was a huge deal. A proper royal wedding would have been a multi-day, star-studded event that would be talked about for months. Adam was immensely grateful that he didn't have to walk Miruna down an aisle that nervewracking.

At least Theo's not here.

"See? Nothing to it," Miruna whispered, jabbing her brother playfully. "You're doing great."

Despite his anxiety, Adam couldn't fight a small smile. He was a part of a royal wedding that would be recorded for future generations to read about. He was helping his sister, but he was also making history.

"Are we done yet? This uniform itches."

Travis Goldman tried to look interested in his sister's wedding, but he was a terrible actor. There were better things to do on a nice day like today, and it wasn't even like this wedding was a proper, giant royal wedding. Having to wear the Pleasantview royal uniform was miserable.

"Thank god I'm not the king. I couldn't stand to wear this every day."

Anna nodded, agreeing completely with her son. If she had lived to become the queen of Strangetown and Twikkii Island like she had been meant to, she would have probably developed a tolerance for royal pageantry. She never understood her daughter's need to follow the family destiny by becoming a monarch, but Anna would support Claudia's choice.

This was all just too much for someone who had listened endlessly to the stories of her deceased Grandma Toyonaga before becoming a reaper. Even the current king, Anna's uncle Charley, was laid back when it came to ceremony and spectacle. A Strangetown royal wedding focused more on spirituality and community, and cost about as much as Claudia's dress.

As Anna struggled to stop comparing Pleasantview to Strangetown, two figures appeared from the hallway, walking slowly together. If she had needed to breathe, Anna's breath would have caught in her throat at the sight of her husband, arm and arm with their beautiful daughter. Claudia had chosen something understated to wear as the ceremony would be quite small, but she looked as regal and beautiful as any other monarch in all of history. Even though this ceremony was largely to ensure that her children would be born legitimate, Claudia still looked radiantly happy to be walking towards marriage.

And Ewan. As itchy and uncomfortable as the Pleasantview uniform was, it looked like it had been designed solely with Ewan in mind. He looked dashing, handsome, and regal, so much so that Anna was surprised that no one else was openly staring at him like she was. Ewan would have made a handsome king. Silver hair, medals shining on his chest, a smile that could melt your knees in an instant...Ewan had only ever seen his birthright as a curse and something to feel guilty about, but Anna was beginning to come around about formal Pleasantview weddings. Ewan was definitely going to be wearing that outfit home. She had plans for it.

"Mom, stop staring at Dad like a pervert," Oliver whispered, noticing his mother's lingering stare. "This is Claudia's wedding, not a strip club. It's gross."

Anna was a Toyonaga first and foremost, and Toyonagas weren't typically burdened by shame. There was Siew in her as well, but her heart had always been with her father's side of the family.

"When you're in a committed relationship, Oliver, you're allowed to ogle your partner," she replied. "One day when you finally bring someone home to meet your parents, you'll understand."

"Uh huh." Oliver gave up before his mother started nagging him about finding love and settling down again. His mother meddled like a true Toyonaga. The last time Oliver had met with his grandfather, Vrai had tried setting him up with three business opportunities and on a date with wealthy duchess, which, of course, Anna had seconded. Luckily for Claudia's kids, Anna's children tended to take after their father's side of the family.

Adam released Miruna's arm and went to stand next to the wedding arch like he'd been instructed. Victoriana smiled at him from her mother's side of the arch. Ewan got the chance to join the crowd because Claudia wanted Victoriana to stand with her during the ceremony. Seeing as Adam was the only relative on Miruna's side of the family, he would be watching the ceremony opposite the crown princess.

"Isn't she a beautiful bride?"

Ewan slipped an arm around his wife and held her close as Claudia and Miruna repeated their vows. Oliver scowled when his mother's hand wandered down his father's back while he was standing directly behind them.

"This will all be in a book someday," Travis agreed. "Her dress will probably be a chapter itself. Plus, the history of the tiaras. I hope there's a group picture included with me in it. I could give Elowen an autographed copy."

When Claudia and Miruna were pronounced as queen and consort, the entire room broke into applause. To Adam's relief, there didn't seem to be anything else needed from him, as Claudia and Miruna walked down the aisle together, smiling for the cameras. He really only knew Victoriana and Travis in this crowd, and Victoriana was quickly pulled away for photos with her mother. Travis had vanished, likely hiding with a book until his parents could drag him back for pictures as well.

It was lonely to be basically alone at a wedding. Everyone was celebrating love, and that was just another thing he was missing in his life. Reese didn't love him, and their hookups were fun but also empty. Reese probably slept with a bunch of his classmates. Adam was just a good time.

And Theo? That was another mess. Theo still had feelings for Adam that he couldn't admit to, while pretending that he hadn't been dumped by his boyfriend before said boyfriend basically fell into a coma. Was Theo single if he was only broken up with because Sebastian thought he'd be safer without him? Was he really single if Theo refused to acknowledge the breakup? If they hadn't faced death and sleep deprivation, would Theo have even said the things he'd said when he thought Adam was sleeping? Theo hadn't contacted Adam since they'd last seen each other, and Adam didn't dare contact him without knowing where they stood. Theo was weird enough before Adam left; the last thing he needed was to somehow make Theo even more angry with him.

"What a beautiful ceremony! My gift is traveling down by the weekend. It just needs a final safety check."

Maura hugged her cousin, both happy for her and happy that nothing catastrophic had happened. She could get used to boring, safe ceremonies.

"I'm guessing it's a boat?" Claudia laughed. "There's not a lot to look at on our waterfront here in Pleasantview, so I'm guessing again that this present is intended to be used with my favourite cousin?"

Maura laughed, nodding her agreement.

"Absolutely! Come over more often, and we can take it out together." She leaned conspiratorially towards her cousin. "It's newer than even my yacht. I figure that the queen of Pleasantview deserves the cutting edge of technology."

"You forget that I'm about to have two screaming infants very soon. I don't think that there'll be too much time for boating with the queen of Twikkii Island."

"Nah," Maura teased. "That's what nannies are for. Coby is fussy at night, but that's why I have staff to help with the children. Oh, speaking of, we'll need to have playdates with Coby and your boys! It'll be fun!"

Claudia flinched at the name of Maura’s youngest daughter.

"I know that Ulyssa was trying to honour your family when she named the poor kid that, but yikes. What a time to learn about your father and have his name ruined."

Maura couldn't disagree.

"It's terrible, I know. I can't think of a nickname that makes it easier. I'm trying. It helps that she really doesn't look much like him. Do...do you know if there's been any sign of him? My security can't find anything, so maybe he went back to Jubilant Accosts? I'm not sure if that's the best case scenario or something terrible."

"No, there's been nothing that we could find in Pleasantview. This has been his home before even my father was born, so who knows if he's here or not? I think that-"

"They're coming! The babies are coming!"

Miruna's shouts stopped every conversation in the room. Everyone immediately began rushing to call doctors and make Miruna comfortable. Anna followed Miruna like a shadow, leaving behind her current, mostly bored family to be the first to welcome their newest family members. Maura and Claudia followed just behind her, grabbing Ewan while an ambulance arrived. No one wanted to teleport a mother in labour when all the lives involved might be damaged by the pull of magic.

Adam was forgotten in the rush to welcome the new princes. He thought about how happy his dad would have been to see his first grandchildren. He wondered what catty remark Remy would have made about anyone there with a title. His mother was being kept physically away from him for his own well-being, and while Elowen and Bronwen had sent reassuring texts to him, Adam had never felt so alone. All of his life, he'd been surrounded by siblings, cousins, stepsiblings, and classmates to the point that he often wished to be alone, not unlike Travis Goldman. Only Travis still had his family, while Adam's was lost.

And Theo. Adam wished more than anything that he could just forget about his ex, but Theo had been a constant in his life for so long, it felt like losing some vital piece of himself. Whenever Adam was alone, Theo usually popped up out of nowhere to keep him company- or at least he had. Theo was at least speaking with him again, and they would apparently be assigned to a mission to Jubilant Accosts together, but things would never be the same between them. Adam was just the way Theo would get Sebastian back in his life.

Adam retreated to the kitchen, hoping to find Victoriana or Travis to distract him from his misery, but they were nowhere to be found. Even the food and wedding cake had been put away while the queen was at the hospital.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Adam turned to see the girl from the wedding ceremony watching him with concern. She looked familiar, though Adam was having trouble placing her at the moment.

"Have you been abandoned too?" she asked playfully. "I'm not sure if I need to teleport home or call my dads or something. Everyone's at the hospital, I guess. I'm not sure why since the kids won't even be king some day. I guess one of them gets to inherit the Pleasantview coven, which isn't nothing."

Tears sprang from Adam's eyes at the mention of his coven and the role one day his father would pass on if he woke up. If he never woke up, whoever was the acting leader would hand over the reigns to whichever eighteen year old twin had the most magical skill.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you," the girl apologized, rubbing Adam's back to attempt to calm him down. "I'm Leah. I think we've met a few times. You may have been at a sleepover I was at or at the Siew cottage some time? No, you're the guy who's always at the coven. You love crystals, right? My dad is Josh Toyonaga. He talks about you sometimes."

The tears slowed as Adam processed this information.

"Your dad is amazing. He's helped me with a ton of projects. I'd still be working with dusty old books if it wasn't for his help."

Leah smiled.

"Yeah, he knows what he's talking about when it comes to crystals. I have an entire jewelry case filled with enchanted crystals at home."

"Me too," Adam admitted. "I'm going to need a new case soon at this rate. I'm Adam by the way. Miruna's my sister. What are you doing here?"

"I was chosen to represent the Crystal Cove government and coven in this small ceremony. A fully trained adult witch might come across as threatening, and sending Crown Princess Theodosia usually makes Claudia angry, so I got nominated instead."

"That sounds complicated," Adam commiserated. Her inconvenience was nothing compared to the pain Adam was currently feeling, but it was nice to have a break from wallowing.

"Hey, do you want to dance or something? The reception is still mostly set up, and there's nothing else that I can think of doing. I'm afraid to touch any of the stuff in this place in case I break something expensive."

"I guess so," Adam replied slowly. "I'm not sure if I need to be somewhere else or if I have to wait here until the babies are born. I'd imagine the hospital will be too busy to visit anyway."

It was nice dancing with Leah. She was a better dancer than he was, probably because of the expensive lessons at Princess Zarah's. Adam let her lead, trying to relax to the music.

They'd inadvertently discovered where Travis was hiding as the two teens fiddled with the wedding playlist. He was busy reading a book about the history of royal marriages in Pleasantview and had barely acknowledged Leah and Adam's entrance. When they offered to extend a dance invitation to Travis, the teen had simply rolled his eyes and kept reading.

Adam was about to call out to Travis again when Leah suddenly pushed her mouth against his. Adam stood, frozen in shock. After his brain had processed what was happening, Adam found himself kissing Leah back.

"Wait-you're not still with Theo, right?" Leah asked, pulling away quickly. "Now that Sebastian's out of the picture, does that mean you're back together?"

"No," Adam replied, returning to kiss Leah before he had to deal with the emotions boiling inside of him. "I'm definitely not with Theo."

[luverofralts]

Arkhelios Adventures

Lukas stared out the window like the answers they sought could actually be found in the fields of the afterlife.

The answers to whatever was plaguing Jubilant Accosts were in the realm itself, a place that had been cut off from the other realms for centuries. Even the dead of Jubilant Accosts were carefully sequestered from the dead of the other realms. Dream demons and whatever the hell else lived there were too dangerous to expose to an already difficult to manage afterlife.

And no one had checked in on that realm for centuries, possibly millennia. There was no established authority that was assigned to check the sealed realms, and no one seemed interested in volunteering to do so. Lukas had peeked into the few remaining sealed realms as a precaution, but none of them seemed to be indulging in ritual sacrifices or breeding dangerous new offshoots of demon.

The afterlife assigned to Jubilant Accosts was filled with old medieval citizens, including several time lords and ladies of Ticktop, but not the one who had volunteered to protect that society. The reapers were missing from the afterlife, just as they were missing in Jubilant Accosts. No soul resided in the afterlife that was younger than five hundred years old, meaning that they were also missing several hundred souls on top of the missing reapers and timelady.

Lukas rubbed their temples, mentally reviewing the mess the collective gods, demigods, and afterlife staff were in. The Jubilant Accosts monarchy's souls were safely in their afterlife, save for the final queen's father, Apophis. Even though he had died before his daughter, her soul had been located and his had not. Lukas didn't care to speculate why at this point, ignoring Gee's insane suggestion that the king had reincarnated. The whole thing was a disaster.

"Grandfather, it's nice to see you visiting Izanami's realm. I've missed the chatter that you usually invite while you're here."

Lukas turned to see a somewhat unfamiliar face. The woman approaching them was beautiful, well spoken, and yet sad. Her eyes had seen a lifetime of sorrow that even centuries of spiritual existence couldn't remove.

"You're here about the medieval realm, right? Everyone's talking about it. How many other realms are sealed from us? I've never heard of other realms than ours existing except for...well, I don't think I should say the name aloud. The realm that houses the Demon Knight that has been sealed for millennia. Is this realm as dangerous?"

Lukas tried not to snap at the woman, though they probably failed. They looked into her deep violet eyes and felt their stomach twist in recognition. In the old days, they would be what Izanami had named a "self righteous asshole with a god complex and daddy issues" but these days, Lukas had a duty to set as good an example that they were capable of for their children.

"That's not for me to disclose, Your Majesty," they replied angrily.

Deep breaths. Izanami always says take deep breaths. For someone who didn't breathe, he's usually right. It's not her fault who her father was.

"I mean, it's a problem for gods, not mortals., even if you are related to the Demon Knight, however distantly. Some realms are simply too dangerous to mix with others. The walls protecting Jubilant Accosts are falling and the Demon of Nightmares is rising along with his spawn. It's nothing you can help with, Zara."

"It's Zephyr," the woman corrected. "Queen Zephyr Toyonaga. I know you'd prefer to forget that my father existed, and frankly, so would I, but I thought that a god would be capable of remembering their granddaughter's name."

The accusation stung Lukas, leaving them with conflicting feelings on the subject. This woman was the product of their greatest mistake, their son Luke. Lukas had been placed in a centuries long coma and eventually reincarnated because of that son. They'd never met in Zephyr's lifetime. Lukas had never even met the son who had stolen their power to terrorize the living realm-until they had disposed of him upon awakening in their second reincarnation that is. God only knew what this woman had suffered by being raised by her monstrous father. Luke had arranged her marriage to Alpheus' heir in Strangetown, Lukas knew that much at least. Her son had been orphaned and forced to survive on his own until the Pleasantview king stepped in. Her life had been short and tragic at the same time Lukas lay lifeless and unable to stop their son.

"To be fair, I was fighting to regain my life at the time you lived," they noted, bitterness edging their voice. "Luke had several children and grandchildren. Most of them don't want a relationship with me and the rest, I'm happy to ignore. You've never approached me before."

"For what? The only reason you know her name at all is to justify your robbing the Strangetown government because they descend from you. From us."

Lukas sneered at the woman materializing in front of them, who was both uninvited and unwelcome.

"What the hell do you want, Hailee? This isn't a place for washed-up demigods who can't protect their own child."

Hate crackled between them with the intensity of a lightning strike. The hairs on Zephyr's arm stood on end just standing between her grandparents.

"I came to compliment your new hair colour," she replied icily. "The last time you tried that look, you were choking on your own blood in your office. It's a bold choice."

The silence only lasted a moment. Before Zephyr could speak, Lukas and Hailee were already throwing insults at each other at the top of their lungs.

There was clearly no reconciling the former couple or even asking them to act like adults around each other. Their relationship began as an office affair while Lukas was married to one of Izanami's reapers and the heat of that attraction had burned so much of their lives to ash. If Lukas could go back in time like those who wielded time magic, they would change so much of what had happened. Hell, they'd probably make sure that she was never born, just to keep her away from them. That might sound harsh, but Lukas assumed that she felt the same way about them. She certainly said as much the few times they'd run into each other over the years.

"Why are you messing around with a sealed realm?" Hailee demanded. "I had to hear about this from the Grim Reaper! What stupid plans do you have now? You're going to destroy everything good in our realm to fix some place no one cares about!"

"Well, there is an innocent population to worry about," Zephyr brought up, hoping to end the battle raging in front of her. "Jubilant Accosts shouldn't suffer just because they're home to a strange race of demon."

"Unlike you, I protect what I'm responsible for!" Lukas raged on, ignoring Zephyr's hope for peace.

"Our son was kidnapped by force by a faction that even you couldn't overpower!" Hailee seethed. "I was on my own! I thought you were dead!"

"If we stopped fighting about a man who isn't even alive or dead anymore, then we could probably talk more about the actual threat facing us," Zephyr suggested over through the raised voices. "My father did many terrible things, but he had nothing to do with a medieval realm. I think."

"I heard the Lukas/Hailee alarm and came as fast as I could."

A red haired, red eyed woman appeared in a sparkle of magic, her voice echoing across the room. Evalla Reeves tried to make as big of an entrance as she could to try to intimidate the biggest egos in the afterlife. It was something that she'd gotten used to over the centuries, and she considered herself a pro now at navigating most of the afterlife employees and deities.

Hailee was Evalla's grandmother, and a reasonable woman whenever Lukas wasn't around. She'd lost her reaper mother when Lukas' sister had died and had a vested interest in solving that mystery. Hailee liked high fashion, reading up on afterlife history and lore, and occasionally teaching at the schools of the afterlife. She had been born just before the Demon Wars and had been raised to her demigod position after the war, where she served with Lukas, and Quinlan, Death’s replacement Grim Reaper at the time. She'd been full of hope and the belief that she could change her world for the better at the time. Nearly a millenia later, she had long given up that hope.

Evalla was Luke's daughter with Nick, the grandson of the original Demonic Sovereign. Nick had given Evalla to trusted demigods to raise away from the father he couldn't trust with her. Evalla hadn't met her birth parents until she was in her late teens, but as an adult, she appreciated Nick's sacrifice for her own protection.

Evalla had held a very special role for several centuries, one that still made it difficult for Lukas to acknowledge. While Lukas remained comatose for centuries, their son Luke had siphoned Lukas' powers for himself because of his blood connection to Lukas and the inherited power from his demigodess mother. Any other soul who tried to grasp at the powers of Life went mad with the effort. Luke hadn't had that problem.

When Evalla came of age, she was able to take her grandfather's powers from her father with ease. For centuries, she ruled in Lukas' place, trying her best to live up to her grandfather's legacy. She worked well with the previous Grim Reaper, Anku, and the demons respected her for her other grandfather. She named her son Lucas and accidentally raised the remaining four angels from their sleep when she tried to raise Lukas' then extinct line of champions on her own. Very few people disapproved of the way she governed in Lukas' place, and when Lukas reincarnated and her powers vanished, Evalla stepped aside with grace. She was the absolute best replacement a mortal could be to govern Life, and yet, Lukas resented her for it. They believed, perhaps correctly, that if Evalla had tried to use their power less, they may have reincarnated sooner into a body that had matched their previous body more closely. They felt weird knowing that this granddaughter had replaced them -had held their power, their destiny in her hands without their consent. It was a violation. No one could be Life but them. No one could be Izanami's equal but them.

It made Evalla think sympathetically about her grandfather, even if they were occasionally immature about just about everything in life. A plague that cast people into an endless, undying sleep? That had to be hard to think about. Was Lukas immune? Were they afraid that they would succumb to centuries more of unconsciousness while someone held their powers in their absence? It had to be difficult, so Evalla tried to be lenient with Lukas. When they got near Hailee though, all bets were off.

"How much damage has been done? Are there casualties?"

"No casualties, since everyone here is dead or immortal," Zephyr replied, warily watching a god and demigod continue to act like children. "But you never know with them."

"Grandmother. Grandfather. Why don't you both sit down and discuss your feelings. Maybe we can all learn something from this situation. Have we begun to assemble our team to travel to Jubilant Accosts? We could discuss candidates if you'd like."

"That's up to Gee and his team," Lukas replied quickly. "I've been repeatedly told that the reapers aren't my business."

"You are going to investigate, aren't you?" Evalla asked. "Lord Izanami has left instructions for aiding you on your journey."

Lukas rolled their eyes while Hailee snickered.

"Of course, Death has to micromanage your trip. Even he doesn't trust you to not screw this up. Either that, or he's afraid you'll screw around."

Lukas glared daggers at their ex-mistress, while the other two women looked on with interest.

"I was made as Death’s companion," Lukas snapped. "We belong together. We're soulmates who will spend eternity together. No one else could possibly interest me."

Evalla and Zephyr shared a look between them.

"Then how are we here?" Zephyr asked boldly, trying her luck to answer a centuries old family mystery. "Why did you break things off with Death in the days of old? The written record has never even hinted at what happened millennia ago. Why did you marry a reaper in the first place?"

Lukas remained frozen in place, clearly pretending not to hear the question or dignity it with a response.

"To make Death jealous, obviously," Hailee replied. "He only used me to make his wife jealous and I can only imagine he married her for the same reason. He never loved her; he admitted as much to me."

"None of this is about Jubilant Accosts! I'm here to prepare for my journey, not gossip about my private life. Can any of you tell me how to find a Timelady of Ticktop? I assume her golem will still be around, even if it's rusting by now. Does it know where to find its master?"

The three women shared blank looks at the question.

"Hailee, didn't you ascend because of your ability to scry across time?" Evalla asked. Of course she had, Evalla has memorized her grandmother's file during her reign as Life's stand-in. "Maybe you could see if there are traces of the Timelady that you could still pick up on. If her last appearance on the timeline was violent, there may be a scar in time to mark that event."

"I'd rather not. I haven't used those abilities in decades. Let the god handle it."

"Like I'd even need her help," Lukas replied angrily. "The Demon Wars were a fluke. What has she done since then? Nothing of importance. Like she said, she hasn't used her skills in decades. How do you expect her to do anything to help now?"

Zephyr turned to the babbling water feature in the room to silence the squabbling behind her. Things got so messy when ex-mortals had to solve big problems together. Whether they were deities or demigods or even just the dead, no one seemed to agree on anything. It had to have been simpler back in the beginning when Death and Life worked together to guide their destined lands. No stand in Grim Reaper or Life substitute channeling Life's powers. But then, why had Life and Death ever parted ways to begin with? Was there any system that could govern the universe without collapsing every millennia or so? It didn't sound like it.

"Okay. Okay! Lord Izanami and the Grim Reaper will focus on the problems belonging to the realm of death," Evalla shouted, trying to be heard over to shouting. "Lukas, you need help with finding a Timelady and what else? Things we can actually help you with."

"There's some...crossover between Izanami's realm and mine," they said carefully. "A soul is missing from Jubilant Accosts' afterlife and there is a suggestion that it...mighthavebeenreincarnated."

"Might have what?" Evalla demanded. "Did you say reincarnated?"

Lukas shrugged, trying to look casual and like they weren't incredibly frustrated by everything to do with Jubilant Accosts.

"That's the suggestion. I have no evidence of reincarnation, but the reaper records are strange. Someone wrote 'burning soul' next to the soul's entry in Death’s list. I've never seen anything like that in all my existence."

"Burning soul," Evalla repeated, trying the words for herself. "What could that mean? It's impossible for anyone other than Life to reincarnate. When I held your office, there was nothing to suggest that a mortal soul could do anything other than...well, no, I suppose it could maybe...hmm."

Zephyr raised her hand, like she needed the audience of a god and demigods' permission to voice her fear.

"D-Did you ever consider that a burning soul could refer to the punishments of Life? What Life did to my father or to Kamalani Bellamy...I would assume their souls are burning if they still possess them."

"Or a reaper's soul when they're killed like my mother," Hailee murmured. "Or like Riley. Their souls are lost to us; perhaps they are burning in a different realm."

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to see if I can find this Timelady," Hailee said with a sigh. "If there's even the slightest chance that my mother is burning in another realm or time, then I have to try. We lost a lot of good reapers when she died. Maybe this is a sign or clue about their current status. Maybe our lost reapers can reincarnate like this missing king."

"Hailee, don't get your hopes up," Evalla cautioned. "This is just a rumour for one missing soul. We don't know if it's even real in this realm, let alone ours."

"It's impossible," Lukas declared. They tried to hide the temporary excitement that ran through them at the thought of saving Riley. "Reapers are built differently. They are servants of Death who cannot feel my power. There is only an illusion of life that ties them to their physical remains. Otherwise, they are completely cut off from my realm. I warned Riley what it would be like to 'live" as a shadow in my realm and she understood. This missing soul was diverted from Death’s list, so it somehow remains in my realm. It's not the same as a reaper."

"Reapers can create new life," Hailee challenged. "My parents were reapers, the queen of Pleasantview comes from reapers. It's worth a shot."

"Just don't get your hopes up," Lukas warned, their voice uncharacteristically kind. "Your mother and Riley are gone, and nothing will bring them back."

"Probable, but worth the effort if it is possible." Evalla knew the odds were against them, but it was worth a try.

"So what instructions did Izanami leave?" Lukas demanded, suddenly remembering the meddling their husband had apparently been up to. "I don't need his help. He never listens to my instructions."

Evalla opened her mouth, but Lukas couldn't hear her words. A familiar haunting voice burned it's way through their mind, drowning out every other sound.

Lukas Reeves. Lukas Lane. I look forward to seeing you in person. I'm curious to see how you act without your husband to hold your hand.

Lukas closed their eyes, trying to isolate anything they could from the hollow, scraping voice that had tormented them in the past.

You can't possibly be trying to drag my sister into this after I warned you. Just because Hailee chooses to be naive, I know that you have nothing to do her death. I'm looking forward to meeting you...Xexys, is it? I've been to your realm, and frankly, I'm unimpressed. A few missing reapers, a Timelady, and some scared kids? You're an amateur. Those reapers are missing, not destroyed. Hailee is blinded by her grief, but I've accepted that Riley is never coming back. When they died, you didn't have that convenient crack in your realm to reach through, like you are now. Enjoy it while it lasts, because things are about to change.

Lukas opened their eyes, only to find three women staring at them worriedly. Apparently, they had missed Izanami's instructions and remained silent for a concerning amount of time.

I'll be waiting for you. Sleep well while you can. In my realm, you'll never sleep soundly again.

Lukas rolled their eyes at the audacity of this demon. After the fear of losing Izanami and the realization that no one could hurt their lost sister, the terrifying voice that had frightened them previously held no power. The worst things in existence had already happened to them, and besides, Lukas had helped seal Xexys away long ago, even if their role had been rather limited. Xexys was more of a challenge than Saren and her drama, but Lukas would figure out the demon's schemes eventually.

"I'll be leaving shortly," Lukas announced. They looked at their audience warily. Even if they were stronger than Xexys, the next few months, possibly even years, were going to suck. "Zephyr, Evalla, take care of Izanami. I'll try to check in on him while I can, but he's going to need someone to make sure he's taking care of himself and I can't trust the Grim Reaper to not baby him or fall for his tricks."

"Seriously, what is the deal with you two?" Zephyr pressed. "Why did he leave for centuries while you told everyone possible how much you hated him, only to be obsessively in love with him now? If you tell us, maybe we can know how to help him better while you're gone."

Evalla nodded eagerly, while Hailee just groaned at the suggestion.

For their part, Lukas did consider answering the question. With everything in their head currently swimming with far too many emotions to process, it seemed like a small thing to be honest with their descendants. Perhaps it would help them deal with Izanami and his health related tantrums if they knew even a small fact about him. Hailee being present was hardly good timing, but Lukas did need extra eyes on that stubborn man.

"I got pregnant. He didn't want-He....nevermind. It's not relevant."

Lukas stood quickly while Evalla and Zephyr tried to suppress a gasp at the reveal despite its shortness. They may be the only people who knew this secret in the entire universe. Did the Grim Reaper know? Did Davis or Destiny? Hailee said nothing. She folded her arms and looked as far away from her ex as she could.

"Take care of him. I'll be checking in on you. There will be consequences if he's getting worse," Lukas warned, disappearing in a shower of sparkles.

"Did that just happen?" Evalla asked, looking at Zephyr for confirmation. "Did our grandfather really just open up to us about their past?" She paused. "Did they just threaten us if Death gets sicker?"

"Only in this family," Zephyr sighed.

[luverofralts]

Arkhelios Adventures

"Your Majesty, Apprentice Darktide and I are here as you requested. We are at your service, no matter what you require."

Alicia Maricourt bowed, motioning for Adam to do the same. This was her first official summons from the queen of Pleasantview as the acting leader of the Pleasantview coven and she wasn't about to mess it up. She wasn't going to be sent back to Arkhelios. Not now. Not after feeling the support of her fellow coven members as she tried to carry them through the darkness that threatened them.

"Theo sends his regards," Adam said, staring at the floor instead of meeting the monarch's eyes. "He wanted to come with me, but your summons only mentioned me and Leader Maricourt-Toyonaga. His dad didn't want him to come anyway."

Alicia made a hand gesture to silence the teen, and Adam dutifully stopped speaking about the queen's ex-fling.

"The coven has the castle and Princess Zarah's school surrounded," Alicia stated formally. "Crystal Cove has volunteered some of their members to assist us, and our coven voted to accept their help. All signs of the assassin have vanished. His accomplice is sedated under guard as our prisoner. When we feel confident that we can interrogate him safely, we will learn as much as we can from him. We are uncertain how much of this plague he can control and how far away he needs to be to control it."

"Excellent. I look forward to that information," Claudia replied. She shot a pitying glance at Adam. "And his cousin Sebastian? His sister and father? How are they?"

Alicia paused to give Adam time to prepare himself to speak about his family. She couldn't imagine losing her children or husband to a mysterious and dangerous illness. And on top of all of that suffering, to only have Edana left to lean on? The kid was dealing with a lot.

"They are protected within the walls of the coven," she answered. "Medical teams have stabilized their life signs and provided machinery that will sustain them for the duration of their illness. We cannot do anything else for them at this time."

"Yes, my report mentioned that they were comatose and unresponsive. We can keep their bodies from dying, but waking them up is another, much harder task. They haven't appeared on my parents' reaping lists yet, which gives me hope."

The queen stood and wrapped her arms around Adam, surprising him with the gesture.

"Apprentice Darktide, seeing as your parents are incapacitated and unable to care for you, I hereby accept you as a ward of the crown. Until your biological parents can care for you, I will be in charge of your care."

"You?" Adam gasped, trying not to look as shocked as he felt. "Really? But you're so busy."

Claudia smiled kindly at the teen.

"It's an honour to have you under my roof," she replied. "Though I'm afraid it won't be for very long. Adam, you must prepare yourself for a great trial in the future. I'm sure that Evren has warned you and Theo about a mission to the heart of Jubilant Accosts. The coven has discussed this at length and you two are the best hope we have to cure this plague and bring us any information that you can on their society. It will be dangerous, but you two are strong, capable warlocks and I have every faith in your abilities."

"You won't be entirely alone," Alicia interrupted quickly. "We have a contact who will help you and house you two. They are from a family the Jubilant Accosts refugees feel can be trusted and are desperate to cure the plague ravaging their land."

"Who?" Adam was confused at the notion of anywhere or anyone being safe in the land where Demons of Nightmares roamed freely. "Is it Brion's family? Are they okay?"

Alicia smiled thinly at the question. The only part she hated about being the temporary leader so far was having to break bad news to good people. Edana's husband and remaining children had broken down when she told them about what had happened to their family members. She hoped to be spared having to do that in the future.

"I spoke with a gentleman very quickly through the portal. He was handsome and had a small child with him. He said he knew something about our lands because of an Imogen Muir. The coven is getting more information, but we aren't immune to the illness like you are. I'm afraid that we are asking a great deal from you because of the danger."

"Is-isn't that Despina's mother's name?" Adam asked nervously. "Despina's mother, who was working with Coby Wall? Can we trust this guy?"

"The coven feels confident that he means us no harm," Claudia stated, looking irritated that Alicia seemed to be making Adam's anxiety worse. "He's been vetted with truth potions and everything else we could think of. I believe that he is genuine and in no way sympathetic to Coby Wall. I would not trust you or Theo to a mission I believed was a trap."

"Completely right, Your Majesty," Alicia scrambled to add. Even a small mistake in front of the queen made her feel like a failure. Of course she shouldn't scare the already traumatized teens. She hadn't thought about her words carefully. "There is danger in this mission, but we believe firmly that we have an ally to be trusted."

"Either way, before we finalize your mission with Theo, there is another task I need help from you with. A very important task in these dark times."

Adam gulped, but tried to put on a brave face.

"Anything I can do, I will."

"My fiancée is having a difficult pregnancy," Claudia stated. "The babies will be coming shortly, far more quickly than we'd planned for. In order to be safe, we are moving our wedding up so that the twins can be born legitimate. Now that Master Maricourt is temporarily lost to us, Miruna needs someone to walk her down the aisle. She's asked that it be you."

Adam stared at the queen, trying to understand this request. With all the horror and loss that he'd seen, helping with his half-sister's wedding didn't seem real.

"Twins? You're having twins?" he asked. "Wow."

"Well, twins do sort of run in the family," Claudia laughed. "You and Remy are twins after all. There are more twins going back further in the family tree, so it's not completely a surprise. Or maybe Miruna ate some exceptional cheesecake if you believe the old wives' tales. Either way, I'm happy to have them on the way. It's just unfortunate that the pregnancy has been difficult."

"Do you know the genders?" Adam asked, while beside him, Alicia tried to fight her horrified reaction at his sensitive question. "I'm sure the coven would love to have something positive to focus on. If my dad were here, he'd probably have a baby name guessing game for the future coven leader. He'd be so excited."

Adam's voice cracked at the reminder of his loss. His dad wasn't here to welcome his grandchildren or walk Miruna down the aisle. He may never wake up unless Adam figured out how to save him.

Claudia stared at the teen with pity. Her parents had died decades ago, long before she was born and she could never lose them. She was the one who would grow old and die, while they supported her as ageless undead creatures.

"They're pretty confident that they're twin boys," she said kindly. "At least one for sure is a boy. The other child was more shy, but the doctor thinks it's a boy too."

Adam smiled politely. He could see what the queen was trying to do, but nothing would cheer him up after the reminder of his loss.

"It's been a trying day, and you must be tired," Claudia continued. "Alicia will return to the coven to continue her important work and Victoriana will show you to your room, Adam. You are always welcome in my home, especially when your nephews are born. We'll get through all of these trials together as a family."

Alicia vanished quickly after the queen dismissed them, eager to return to the coven in case some new disaster had arrived. Victoriana eagerly appeared to show Adam to his room before he could even get used to the idea of living with the queen of Pleasantview and his sister.

"Adam! It's so great to see you!" Victoriana gushed, wrapping her arms tightly around him. "I was so worried when the coven told me that you and Theo were in danger at the academy! The coven wouldn't even let me look out a window while Coby Wall was so close to the school. I couldn't see anything that was happening."

"You're better off not knowing about anything, let alone having to see it," Adam mumbled, still unable to process anything he'd seen. "It was just us teens for so long after...after my dad was attacked. If Evren hadn't shown up with reinforcements, I'd probably be dead. All of Pleasantview would probably be dead. Coby doesn't care about anything living. He killed his own son like he was breaking a toy. All he cares about is death."

"I'm so sorry, Adam. That must have been hell to live through. My mother let me sit in on her meeting with the coven and the meeting later with Queen Maura. You were very brave."

"Theo was brave. Despina and Remy were brave. I spent most of the night crying. I couldn't save anyone."

Victoriana wrapped Adam in another crushing hug.

"Hey, you did your best and you're alive. That's all you can ask of yourself. And Coby didn't kill Sebastian. That was all in the report my mom read. He's in way worse shape than your dad or Remy, but he's still alive. There could be lingering damage since he seems to be the source of the plague, but he's still breathing. I texted Theo about him as soon as we got the wounded stabilized. We'll keep his body alive if he can wake himself up."

"You didn't see him floating in the air like a broken doll. You didn't see how limp my dad was when I tried to move him. Remy had blood all over her hair from falling on the concrete. I hope they can all wake up, but I still worry that it's impossible," Adam sighed, feeling the familiar wave of guilt and fear overtake him. "I have to figure out something to help them, but maybe I can't. Maybe they are all lost."

"Well, just take a breath for now," Victoriana commanded. "You have an important job to do tomorrow with the wedding, and that will be something happy. No one has seen Coby and the plague isn't as effective in our realm. We have a lot of good to focus on."

Adam nodded, hoping that the conversation would be over quickly so that he could go to his room and be alone. Victoriana seemed to pick up on this need.

"So, the bedroom you've been assigned is where Theo slept while he was working with us in the summer," she said with a wink. "He never complained about the room, so I'd imagine that you'll like it too, since you all sleep on the same mattresses at the academy."

Adam's eyes brightened at the mention of Theo, though he tried to hide his reaction. Things had been weird with Theo since they slept in Theo's bed together. It felt like they had a million things to discuss, but they'd shared a quiet breakfast before Alicia arrived for Adam. It wouldn't have been a private conversation with Theo's dad watching them like a hawk, but at least Theo could have said something to him. Instead, Theo had eaten half a bowl of cereal, smacked his hand against his head repeatedly like a bug was bothering him, and asked to be excused. Adam had never seen him act that way before, but he wasn't in the right mindset to dwell on it. Theo had whispered something private while he thought Adam was asleep, so Adam could only assume that Theo was processing everything that had happened. Theo would never have whispered what he had if he hadn't faced a near certain death, so Adam wasn't going to press him on it. In the end, it wasn't like Theo was going to take him back, so he couldn't waste the few moments of emotional wellness he could find with thoughts about Theo.

As Victoriana had guessed, Adam did find the room to be comfortable. It wasn't very personal, but the bed was soft and the decor looked expensive. Honestly, it reminded him of the hotels his parents had taken him to for family vacations or distant coven meetings.

And Theo is still lingering here in this room. He slept in this bed. I wonder if he ever thought of me while he was in this room. We were still together back then, so probably. What I wouldn't give to have him thinking about me again in that way instead of just focusing on me kissing Josh. When do I get released from this agony of hoping he'll come back to me? Why does he still haunt me like a ghost when he's clearly moved on from me?

A knock on the door startled Adam from his thoughts. "Come in."

Miruna appeared in the doorway wearing comfortable pajamas while looking very pregnant.

"Are you finding everything okay? I can call the staff if you need anything. If you need me, just call. Even if my water breaks, I'll do my best to help you. You're not alone, Adam. I can't imagine you seeing Dad fall like that. It must be unbearable. And Remy too. It's too horrible to even contemplate. Please come to me if you need anything. Anything at all. I want to support my little brother, especially now that your mother will be unable to visit or see you until she finishes therapy and her sentence. There are tough days ahead of our family, but you're never alone."

"Thanks, Miruna," Adam replied gratefully. I know that you're very busy and about to have twins to take care of, but I really appreciate you saying that. I tried what I could to save Dad, but nothing-"

"Nothing could have happened differently," Miruna quickly interrupted. "You used dream magic and actually drove off the plague and Coby Wall. This is something to be proud of! The coven is depending on you to fight back against Coby and I know you can do it. You're going to be a powerful and wise warlock in a few short years at this rate. Dad would be so proud of you, just like I am."

"I'm sorry he can't walk you down the aisle," Theo sighed, trying to convince himself that Miruna's compliments were true. "I'm happy to do it, but I just feel bad that it has to be this way."

Miruna frowned as if she were considering what to say in response.

"It may not be my only wedding," she said at last. "Who knows what the future holds? People get divorced a lot."

"So the rumours about you and Claudia fighting are true?" Adam asked curiously. Remy would have asked about them as soon as their conversation started, but Adam didn't want to make a stressful situation worse.

Miruna sighed, giving her half-brother his answer.

"Things are complicated and some aspects of our relationship are changing," she said crypticly. "Those are thoughts for another day though. We're focusing on happy things right now, like being blessed with legitimate children. Everything else can be dealt with after this crisis ends."

Claudia stared out of her bedroom windows, watching the lights of Pleasantview flicker below her. It was usually a very serene experience, but Claudia didn't have the luxury of finding peace. She needed to stay sharp in case something else went wrong. She was getting married tomorrow and the coven was in crisis. Citizens were frightened about her own royal assassin coming to bring ruin upon their home, and Claudia felt powerless to tell them otherwise.

Her own father was distraught, knowing that he was technically Coby's master, but he lacked the ability to control him under the rules of the reapers. It was hard to watch him tear himself apart, blaming himself for something he couldn't change. The Grim Reaper had also visited earlier to express his regret about the situation. He had tried escalating the situation to his father, Death, but Izanami had barely been able to focus on the problem. He threw up something unmentionable twice and fell asleep, leaving the Grim Reaper with more concern than he'd had at the start of their meeting.

Lukas was too busy to answer the Grim Reaper's calls, so both Life and Death couldn't be counted on to help. The magic that bound Ewan Goldman to the throne of Pleasantview was ancient and unchangeable and so were the laws that bound a reaper to Death’s realm. And so Claudia was forced to watch her country panic while her parents wallowed in helplessness.

The living world was a mess and the world of the dead was just as bad. On top of all of that, Claudia was marrying a woman who loved someone else tomorrow. She was about to have two sons to protect in this dangerous world with a woman who would eventually leave her for someone else. Just like her "relationship" with Roman, Claudia would soon be on her own with children who needed her. With a country that needed her. With the literal gods who governed this broken existence needing her too.

She could sympathize with Adam. They both had to be strong for the benefit of others. They both had a calling to answer. At least Claudia had chosen to pursue the throne; Adam Darktide seemed to fall into trouble by accident, usually dragging Theo along with him. They could fix this plague nonsense if they worked together; Claudia was certain of that. She would do her part and hold the world together while the teens worked. That was her job and she wouldn't back down from a challenge no matter how difficult it seemed.

[luverofralts]

Arkhelios Adventures

"So, the coven has all the victims of the plague isolated in the academy," Evren began, looking at his partner and his partner's ex-husband carefully.

What a strange life he lived to have two other men communally sharing the responsibilities of raising their children together. Abe and Roman doted on Fiolett and the boys, while Evren spent long hours trying to make sure that Theo survived to adulthood. It may be unofficial, but Evren considered the Bellamy kids to be his stepchildren and he would protect them with everything he had, just like his biological children.

It was because of his closeness to both Theo and Roman that the coven had nominated Evren to explain some of their choices to the Bellamys. Alicia Maricourt had gleefully passed Evren the assignment, thankful that she didn't have to tolerate Roman's infamous clingy behavior or occasional tantrum anymore. Adrian had come over to help manage Roman's reaction to the news while Abe made sure Fiolett and the boys were tucked into the spare beds they used when they spent the night at the Bellamy's. He would then quietly check on Theo and his ex-boyfriend, though he doubted that they'd even be conscious with the night they'd had.

"It's still early, but Acting Leader Maricourt-Toyonaga has made several decisions, along with the queen of Pleasantview and the queen of Twikkii Island. Some of these decisions will impact our family, so we need to review them. These decisions are written in stone, I'm afraid. I'm just the messenger."

Only a few hours had passed since Adam had arrived at the Bellamys' door. The sun was just beginning to rise and Pleasantview was still very much in chaos as citizens realized the danger they were in. The monarchs and the coven leader were beginning to make decisions on how to move forward and Theo just happened to be involved with some of them.

"Master Edana Darktide-Traver has been placed on suspension from her duties to the coven until she completes the necessary therapy hours," Evren announced. Better to start with the easiest news first. "She won't be able to access Adam or Theo or any other apprentice of the coven. Leader Maricourt-Toyonaga has charged her with an infraction against the coven and the vows she made to it. She is being held until the coven can vote on her fate, which won't be any time soon, as we're all too busy trying to fix this mess to convene. So, that's some good news."

"I guess," Roman said with a shrug. "I'm sure the Maricourts will be relieved. No one should ever treat their child like she did."

This doesn't involve me.

Evren knew the look on Roman's face and tried not to groan. As always, Roman's dedication to hating the Pleasantview Coven was unbreakable. Whatever they did to help Theo, they were still the people who restricted access to his son while charging him an absurd tuition to do so.

"Any good news is welcome," Adrian said brightly, looking at Roman with as cheerful a look as he could manage. "Adam can relax a little, which will certainly cheer up Theo, even if it's only by a small amount. She would have likely interfered in Sebastian's care as well, so Theo will have that comfort as well."

"And what's being done with the tuition?" Roman demanded. "Abe wanted me to bring that up as soon as possible. We're going to want compensation for our son nearly dying by an assassin trained by Pleasantview and a disease spread from a realm Pleasantview demanded he go to without our consent."

Adrian frowned at the subject, a lifetime of etiquette screaming at him that this question was inappropriate and crass at this moment. The nobility didn't speak of money and debts outside of meeting rooms or scheduled meetings with the queen. His father would have had a fit hearing this, but then again, his father was the product of a different generation.

Luckily, Evren seemed prepared for the question.

"Leader Maricourt-Toyonaga is considering her options, but Queen Claudia has made a rather bold suggestion. Alicia was in agreement, but such things may take some time to enact." Evren paused, searching for the right words. "Leader Maricourt-Toyonaga has spent a long time in Arkhelios and has seen the inequality of that coven to the one in Pleasantview herself. She's seen treasures like Despina languish under Wanda's rule and wondered how many more talented witches or warlocks are we missing because of our steep tuition prices? Because of the suffering and danger your son was placed in while under the protection of the academy, it has been decided that tuition for the next semester will be free to any student currently at the academy. The following semester is currently under consideration as well, but that decision won't be made in the next few days."

"A free year of classes?" Roman gasped, suddenly feeling a burden fall from his shoulders. Even Elaine's threatened lawsuit couldn't produce a result that good. All of the money they spent on tuition could finally help pay off some bills and expand the restaurant.

"Her Majesty Queen Claudia feels further action is needed," Evren continued. "The academy is so entrenched in tradition that we are limiting ourselves and our potential. Our coven needs to be the strongest in order to stand up to threats like Coby Wall, and to do that, we need every witch or warlock with strong abilities to join us. Her Majesty has proposed that the crown will subsidize tuition to the academy beginning next year."

Roman's jaw hit the floor with that news. Theo still had at least three years left at the academy, more if he followed their university programs. Free tuition for all those years sounded too good to be true.

"How will the school function without all that money?" he asked. "They make it seem like they're nearly destitute every time we ask about scholarships."

"Her Majesty is planning to make up the money with an annual ball and other money generating ideas. She may also offer a special title in exchange for funding the academy, and coven members who make over a certain amount each year will be taxed to support their future coven members. It's still early, but Her Majesty is highly motivated to expand the talent pool of the coven. Considering that His Majesty King Charley is paying for both Despina and Jasper's tuition, we will also gain political good will as well."

"And the tuition for Princess Zarah's?" Adrian asked hopefully. "It's not as much as the magical academy, but it's also not cheap to pay for the twins to attend there."

"I think that will depend on how this project goes, Love. We want to attract magical talent to improve our coven. Princess Zarah's benefits politicians and monarchs who will pay to learn from the best. We don't want it to appear that Princess Zarah's will take in anybody. Even if the queen is able to make the magic academy more affordable, students will still have to pass the entrance exam to attend."

"Free tuition," Roman repeated, unable to believe that Claudia could just throw years, possibly centuries, of coven pricing out the window without a million ancient warlocks rising against her. It was amazing what a crisis and a bold monarch could accomplish.

"So, Roman, this is the good news. There's more than we need to discuss."

Roman's heart sank. Further discussion was never good when it came to coven business.

"Alicia has decided that Adam and Theo are likely immune to the illness. The coven is in agreement with her for the most part. As such, they are included on a very short list of people who might be able to help the coven defeat this threat."

"Might is weak justification for whatever they want Theo to do," Roman snapped. "My fifteen year old son is not a full member of the coven. He's a child."

"A child who is capable of things we couldn't dream of," Evren gently reminded Roman. "He and Adam together are a serious threat, especially if they are immune to this illness."

"Why are we talking about Adam?" Roman demanded. "The kid is already taking refuge in my house and he bothers Theo. Theo doesn't want to chase an ex-boyfriend on some magical mission. He'd much rather stay home and study here."

"Roman, you have to be serious about this," Adrian chided his ex-husband, shooting Evren a concerned look. "If Theo can help people, then he needs to at least try to do what he can. He wouldn't prefer to stay here under your watchful eye. We all know that his heart is determined to chase after whatever magic he can get his hands on, especially if it's dangerous. The council can force him to go anywhere they want him to; I think it's time that you open your mind about this. Theo is determined to save his boyfriend and it's safer if the coven sanctions his actions. Adam isn't some kind of monster and Theo still has feelings for him even if they have broken up. They can fulfill the coven's needs together. Whatever is asked of them, I know they can do it. Theo's a lot more capable than you give him credit for."

"I hate contracts," Roman grumbled, staring angrily at the kitchen counter. "We signed Theo up for this school to learn how to control his powers and they were already asking me to sacrifice my time with my son before the ink even dried. It would have been easier if it had been a demonic deal to enroll him. Lucy could probably get me out of that."

"Well, things haven't been decided in detail yet," Evren replied. "The only thing that is certain now is that those two will play a role in the coven's response to this threat. That will not change, but the details of that plan will be decided when we have more information. Just be prepared."

"Are you asleep?"

"Hmmm. For a minute maybe. You?"

"I heard you start to snore and got worried, but then I remembered that you always snore. I think we might be safe for tonight if you did want to sleep. Nothing bad seems to be happening."

"I don't snore," Adam sleepily mumbled into Theo's shoulder, making Theo laugh despite his worry.

"Oh, you snore," he replied. A feeling other than fear and anxiety flared within him, allowing his mind to temporarily focus on something pleasant. "I was your roommate since we were kids. You definitely snore. Loudly."

Adam mumbled something unintelligible in response and Theo smiled. There were no assassins threatening them, and no symptoms of the dream illness as far as he could tell. If he ignored everything bad that had happened that night, Theo could appreciate the familiar comfort of having Adam snoring in his arms. How many nights had they spent curled up like this over the years? Too many to count.

Sebastian didn't snore. Maybe his body was incapable of producing a noise that might irritate his cruel father; Theo wouldn't be surprised if that was somehow true.

Sebastian never clung to him like Adam did. Adam couldn't be separated from Theo, while Sebastian held a reserved distance even when snuggling with his boyfriend. Sebastian couldn't let down his walls and let Theo see him unguarded. Adam never stopped telling Theo about his feelings and dreams for the future. Sebastian was mysterious and distant, while just a stare from Adam told Theo everything.

Boys were confusing, Theo decided. He half wondered if dating girls would be easier, but then he remembered girls like Despina and Remy and reconsidered the idea. Although, now that he thought about it, both girls were Darktides just like Adam and Sebastian. Maybe dating someone who wasn't a part of the Darktide bloodline was the answer.

"Adam? Are you still awake?" When Theo's question was greeted with more snoring, Theo sighed. Some things never changed. "I'm sorry that we didn't work out. I'm sorry that I've been kind of a jerk to you lately and kept Sebastian from talking to you. Maybe if you guys had talked together about dream magic, this wouldn't be happening. Maybe you would have just known that he was your cousin. Maybe he'd still be here." Theo paused when Adam shifted in his arms slightly. Getting the words out felt freeing, but he really hoped that Adam was still asleep so he couldn't respond.

"I miss him terribly, but truth be told, I miss you just as much. Maybe more, even though you cheated on me. I still don't get why you cheated on me. You're not even with Josh, so it's not like kissing him changed your life for the better. Remy says that it's complicated and you're just an idiot, but it was because of me, wasn't it? I scared you off, just like I scared Sebastian off. He broke up with me to 'protect me' because things were too complicated. God, why is everything so complicated?"

Theo groaned at the thought of facing the giant mess his life had become seemingly overnight. He instantly froze at the sound of scratching coming from behind his bedroom wall. No...not scratching. Whispering. Whispers like nails running down his spine.

Heir of Dorhack...soulmates...danger awaits you. Have courage...your destiny. Bellamy...ancient foe, destroy them.

"Adam? Is that you trying to scare me?"

Theo gulped, nervously peering around the room for the source of the garbled words he thought he heard. Nothing moved, not even a shadow. His tv was definitely off and all of his siblings were still being watched over by his father. There was nothing and no one around him capable of making a sound aside from Adam, who was still snoring in his arms.

"I'm going crazy," Theo murmured, suddenly aware that talking to himself was also a sign of being crazy.

Theo stared at the ceiling in horror. There were voices in his head. Actual, bone-chilling voices speaking to him without sound. Were these the voices Rien followed? Was he suddenly interesting enough for them to bother him? How did he get rid of them?

...Ulysses Bellamy. We remember the days when the Demon of Nightmares roamed free. He cannot be allowed to escape. He is cursed and must always be. You know all about curses, how they twist and warp and destroy all in their path. Use this to survive.

The haunting whispers seemed to withdraw as Theo's panic grew, as if they sensed his incapacity to deal with their presence. As he relaxed, the whispers left him with a departing gift.

Theo squeezed his eyes shut, panic and embarrassment overwhelming his mind. Adam was awake and heard everything he said? He was now taking the word of omnious voices in his head?

The Darktide in your arms is just pretending to sleep. He fears the Nightmare demon as you do.

"Sleep, Theo. Just go to sleep and this horrible day will be over. None of this is real. Just go to sleep."

[luverofralts]

Arkhelios Adventures

"Abe, the kids are asleep and Theo was playing on his phone last time I checked on him. We have the night to ourselves if no other Pleasantview emergencies come up. Evren said that he wouldn't be back until the morning."

Abe laughed, pulling his husband closer to him.

"I wouldn't count on that," he replied. "I left Theo with some hot chocolate and the stuffie he absolutely said he's outgrown. We're going to need to check in on him in a bit. Losing Sebastian is a big deal for him. You remember being a teenager in love."

"All too well," Roman agreed. He started playing with Abe's hair to distract him from this conversation. "I also know that he needs some time to himself to deal with this. Having his dads bother him will only make it worse. It's nice to have all of our kids under one roof again, even if it's because of a disaster. I'm not going to protest having Theo and the twins here. The one good thing out of this whole mess is it sounds like the academy will be closed for a while and we'll get to keep our son home."

"You're diabolical, Bellamy. Celebrating anything that closes Theo and the twins' schools, even if it's an ancient serial killer on the loose?"

"I'm a Bellamy," Roman teased, moving his hands to a more enticing place. "You married into this family; you had your chance. My grandmother raised me to enjoy when fortune favours my wants, and I'm going to do just that."

"Don't bring up your grandmother when you're trying to seduce me," Abe scolded, playfully pushing his husband away. Roman only grinned in response.

"Then I won't say anything at all."

"Theo! Theo, I need to talk to you! Please, I don't have anyone else to go to."

Adam knocked on a door for the second time that night, hoping for a better response than last time. While their coven was protected by spells to keep out intruders, the Bellamy house had only a lock to keep people out. The real threat to Adam was Theo's parents and he desperately didn't want to be screamed at by any other adult. He couldn't handle being thrown out by Theo's parents any more than he could endure Theo rejecting his presence near him. Still, Theo had loved him once, and he knew about the dream plague and how it felt to lose someone to it. Theo was his best chance to have a sympathetic ear and Adam had to risk it. He had nowhere else to go.

"Adam? Is that you?" Are you okay? Did something happen? Did Sebastian wake up?"

Theo crept down the stairs to answer the knocking at the door before his parents answered it first. While he was surprised to see Adam, a tiny piece of him was also glad that he was there. While Roman and Abe had tried to be comforting, they hadn't understood the trauma of that night and how close Theo had been to death or endless sleep. They hadn't seen Sebastian fall or Remy. They hadn't seen one of the strongest warlocks in the coven fall to the ground like it was nothing. Adam had seen everything that Theo had. Adam understood how hopeless fighting against Coby Wall had felt.

"Can I come in? I'm sorry, I don't have anywhere else to go. I know you hate me because of how I treated Sebastian, but you're the only person left that understands."

Theo nodded, and Adam quietly opened the door.

"What about your family?" Theo asked. "Your mom and Ewan and your half-siblings are still safe, aren't they?"

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say because Adam burst into tears at the mention of them.

"Abe? Do you hear something? I think one of the kids is up."

"We can be quiet," Abe teased before his brain remembered why so many of their children were home for the night. "Oh, shit! Theo might need comforting or one of the girls might be having a nightmare! Shit!"

Abe bolted from the bed, followed closely by his husband. Roman tried vaguely to pat down his hair so the kids wouldn't see how messy Abe had made it while taking deep breaths to calm himself.

"Should we call Evren and see what's going on? He saw everything happen, so he may be able to comfort the kids about specific things. I feel so useless with all this magic. Evren understands that world better than any of us."

Abe nodded in agreement while straightening his pajamas.

"If it's Theo that's up, yes. I have a feeling that Evren's search for Adam might be bothering him. Now that Sebastian's ill, Theo's probably worried about Adam's disappearance too. Having two boys he cares about just vanish from his life? He needs reassurance."

"He needs to come home to Arkhelios now that his curse isn't about to cripple him at a moment's notice. We wouldn't have so many close calls and magic related trauma if he lived with us again." Roman withered under Abe's disapproving glare. "Which I will not mention to Theo under any circumstances, I know, I know. A father can dream though."

"Your mother told you that she wished you were dead? What the fuck, Adam? Why didn't you call her a bitch and let Evren deal with her? That's beyond messed up!"

Adam bit his lip, trying not to cry, but the more he thought about all the things his mother had screamed at him, the harder it was to fight back tears.

"I don't know. Because she's right. If it weren't for me, my dad would still be here. He would know what to do and in the end saving me from being hit by an illness that I'm apparently already immune to meant nothing! He should have saved Remy. Remy looked like she was dead. You saw her fall, she was right beside you! She fell on the concrete and there was blood in her hair when I tried to see if she was okay. Her arm was at a weird angle too and I know that blood can't be a good thing when it comes to-"

"Adam, don't. Stop beating yourself up over things that aren't your fault," Theo interrupted. "Coby all but killed his son in front of us. Sebastian couldn't fight him, and neither could we. We'll find a way to fight him and get everyone back, I promise. I won't leave Sebastian stuck in some eternal nightmare or give up on Remy or your dad. We'll fix this."

This declaration only made Adam sob harder.

"S-Sebastian, he didn't-didn't deserve what happened to him. I know we don't get along but...even my uncle looked...the way he was just floating there lifeless...I know you care about him and I couldn't help him for you. I wasn't strong enough to save my family. My mom was right."

"That's insane. There's nothing that you could have done to save any of them. Adam, Sebastian collapsed on our floor right in front of me and there wasn't a damn thing I could do to help him. And the worst thing about it? He told me that he believed in me, that I was destined to save him and that I'd see him again. He believed in me and I can't help him! He told me after your fight that he was planning to go home to keep me safe, but there's nowhere safe! If I couldn't save my own boyfriend, you couldn't save two people on your own. That's not how it works."

"You're wrong," Adam replied, tears still streaming down his face. "My uncle said that this was my destiny to fix Jubilant Accosts, that we-I broke it when I summoned Luna. All of this is my fault. My dad and Remy...Sebastian...Brion's family, all of it is my fault."

Theo didn't even hesitate for a second after this declaration. In an instant, Adam was in his arms, being squeezed tightly.

"We may have failed to close the portal between Jubilant Accosts and Pleasantview or wherever Luna took you, but the plague was all Coby," Theo insisted. "He did something to Sebastian to make it. All we did was open a crack that began to change the way Jubilant Accosts functioned. Coby took advantage of our mistake, and I doubt that Phuong would be pregnant without that crack, but we didn't make this plague."

"We?" Adam tried to make eye contact with Theo, but Theo was still crushing him in a tight embrace. "I thought it was just me who was responsible for not making the right sacrifice?"

"I need to get Sebastian back. I have to. Whatever it takes. If I helped open a crack with you, and if that gives me at least some of the immunity against the plague that you have, then I'll accept that. Sebastian believed in me."

"We don't know for sure that you're immune," Adam murmured, trying to ignore the pain in Theo's voice for a guy that wasn't him. "You can't risk-"

"He fell in front of me," Theo replied, unwilling to be swayed. "I was right beside him, trying to wake him. If he was ground zero for Coby's plans, I should have what he has. I was right beside Remy too. I'm going to help you fix this no matter what you say."

"My mom went near Remy too, maybe it's a delayed reaction, I didn't see her for very long. You can't risk-"

"Adam. Listen to me. I am going to get Sebastian back whether you agree to it or not. If your uncle says that your destiny is to fix Jubilant Accosts, then it's my destiny to help you. If you keep refusing, I'll lie about having a dream and give Despina twenty bucks to back me up."

The joke didn't land with Adam, if it truly was a joke and not a threat. He couldn't completely be sure. The only things he knew for sure were that his mother hated him, his family was in danger, and the only thing keeping him together was the comfort of Theo's arms wrapped around him.

"Abe? Call Evren. I've found his missing Darktide. He's hugging Theo."

Roman tried not to groan when he saw the teens wrapped around each other, trying to fight back tears. It wasn't that he hated Adam, like his son thought he did. He didn't. He would be too much like his own grandmother if he did, and just like Edana Darktide. Abe had been trying to impress that upon him since parent-teacher day.

Maybe Roman was too much like his grandmother. It was how he was raised, after all. Malika Bellamy had never liked Abraham Helios' grandson and often told Roman as much. Even if the union of Malika’s bloodline with Abraham's wasn't literally cursed, Malika had still disapproved of Abe's parents, his clothes, his education...okay, maybe Abe had a point about Roman's views on Adam.

Still. Roman didn't know how to step back from the paternal instinct to protect his baby against heartache, and Adam had certainly caused enough of that. It was irrational to think that he would never cross Theo's path again, seeing as they had the same friend group, school, and would share magic between them for the rest of their lives. Whatever Roman had thought fatherhood would be like when he was a teen wasn't even close to the reality of parenting Theo.

So, in the spirit of good parenting, Roman stood in his kitchen in the middle of the night with pastries that were supposed to be for his restaurant's opening that day, staring at the cat who was eyeing them up greedily. He had Adrian on the phone to coordinate both their families and their business. Evren would sort things out with Adam, while Adrian looked after their younger kids at home and opened the restaurant on time. Evren was planning to stay the night to sort out academy business and what needed to be done going forward now that Coby Wall had launched his attack.

"So the academy is closed until you can secure it from any trace of this dream plague?" Abe asked, rocking his son in the futile hope that he might fall asleep again. "Roman will be happy to hear that. Is their school work going to be home based? We could probably fit a group of students here if need be."

Evren shook his head wearily. It had been a long, difficult night so far without any sign that it would change.

"Alicia has it in quarantine. All the victims have been placed in a sterile room for observation. It's mostly the people Coby attacked personally that were hit the hardest. There's a first year with half an eye covered with the film, and two third years that have been falling asleep at random, but waking up within two minutes. It's either not as strong as Coby thought it was or this realm is still too different than Jubilant Accosts for it to be as potent here. We've been lucky. The coven council has decided to shut down the academy temporarily and classes will resume at the nearby Princess Zarah's Academy. We can't let evil win; Pleasantview will stand strong no matter what is thrown at us."

"Oh, well that's good," Abe remarked, silently disappointed that Theo wouldn't be staying at home for a longer period. "Are we getting partial refunds for the semester then? What? Tuition's expensive and my mother will be at a lawyer's office to sue for pain and suffering the instant she hears about this. I need to know what to tell her."

Evren frowned, trying to come up with an answer for Abe.

"Give it a few more hours while the coven sits and makes decisions. We're just catching our breath at the moment and taking stock of our losses. It will likely be Alicia Maricourt leading the coven for now until a formal vote can be held. She's always been sympathetic to families paying for tuition and she'll likely have something to announce by tomorrow if she remains as leader. There are still other candidates to consider and many things to sort out. Her Majesty Queen Maura is scheduled to arrive early this morning to discuss the reappearance of Coby Wall and reports are being compiled for her and Her Majesty Queen Claudia. These things all take time."

"I'm glad you're not dead, Adam. The spirits weren't certain that you'd live at first. They find you hard to read ever since Theo nearly killed you. Your aura is different now and the crystal horns? They're intrigued."

Rien hugged her brother's ex-boyfriend tightly and he didn't try to fight it. Every part of his body hurt, his mother's words kept echoing through his mind, and he was in the Bellamy house where Theo's parents surely spent most of their time discussing their hatred of him. Rien's usual horror movie dialog didn't phase him at all.

"Thanks, Rien. I'm glad the spirits think I'm interesting. I think they're interesting too."

Adam wasn't sure what to say about Rien's spirits, but that sounded like enough like a compliment to please Theo's little sister.

Rien stared at Adam unnervingly as though she was trying to make some kind of assessment of him.

"You're not ready, but that's okay," she decided. "You'll figure it out. Theo will-Abe no! Those aren't for babies!"

Rien abandoned her conversation with Adam to pull tarot cards out of her youngest brother's mouth. She'd left her favourite deck too low on the nearby bookshelf and Abe was happily pulling cards from the deck like they were toys.

"You're getting baby drool all over them! Stop!" she whined, stomping her feet angrily. "Dad! Abe is ruining my cards! Make him stop!"

Roman chuckled from the kitchen.

"Well, Kiddo, if you put them away properly, he couldn't reach them. Maybe you should ask the cards how to prevent this from happening again."

Rien fumed as her father laughed at his own dad humor, her thoughts on Adam suddenly gone.

"Dad!"

Evren took the opportunity to get to Adam before Rien could continue to mumble prophesy at him again. The boy was exhausted, that much was obvious, and frightened by everything he'd seen at the academy. There was no way that Adam would allow himself to relax, but he looked like he would collapse any second from the effort it took to remain standing. All of Evren's paternal instincts were screaming at him to get this boy to a quiet place he could process everything that had happened, away from the chaos of the younger children.

"Adam. Adam, look at me. Just sit for a moment here on the ground. That's it. Good. Now, things are under control and the coven and her Majesty are going to sort this all out. You don't have anything to worry about. Just rest. Breathe deeply and stare at the light. It'll help you relax." With a quick turn of his hand, a gentle ball of light appeared in Evren's palm. The light shimmered in the air, attracting Adam's weary attention.

"I...I can't. I have to fix things and...."

The calming light was gradually wearing down Adam's protests, just as it did when Evren cast the same spell to help his children go back to sleep after a nightmare. It was a soothing spell that most magical parents knew to help calm their children after an upset, and it had come in handy with Evren's own family many times. It worked best on infants and toddlers, but Adam was so distraught, it would likely help him as well.

"Are you doing okay?" Abe asked Theo. Both of them watched as Evren's magic made Adam slump forward the more he relaxed. "This is a lot to deal with, and you know that you can talk to me anytime you want, right? Evren will do everything that he can to fix Sebastian and Adam will be safe with the coven. You don't need to worry about either of them or your other friends."

Theo nodded but remained silent, watching Adam with worried devotion. After a few moments passed, he looked at his father with the same eerie determination as his half-sister.

"Could you talk to Dad for me? I know that he's going to flip over what happens next, but it needs to happen. It has to."

Abe stared at his son, suddenly concerned that Rien's spirits were conversing with Theo now too.

"What does that mean? Theo, you can talk to me about anything. You know that, right?" He lowered his voice so that Roman couldn't hear from the kitchen. "Are you hearing the spirits like your sister? What are they saying? Are you in danger?"

Abe cursed the fact that Malika was the great-grandmother of his children whenever moments like these popped up. Roman was terrible at listening for the spirits that guided the Bellamy family, but his daughter wasn't. Rien had frequently reminded her parents that Luci and Saturnia had had their abilities to connect with the Bellamy family legacy damaged or removed entirely by Kamalani before they were even born, but Theo and Abe Jr were different. Abe didn't know about his youngest son's future, but his oldest son had heavily favoured the demonic in his short life. If Theo was capable of tuning into the same whispers that his sister did, Abe's life was about to become very complicated.

"I don't know," Theo replied, his voice barely above a whisper as he watched Adam. "I don't hear voices, but I know that something is going to change very soon and I'm a part of it. Something big. I can feel it. It's calling to me."

Abe's eyes followed Theo's gaze and his heart sank when he realized that Theo had been staring at the soft glow of Evren's magic as well as Adam. Theo was becoming relaxed and letting his guard down as a result. Was he capable of hearing the same voices as Rien if his guard was down? Was this declaration of Theo's a prophesy or just teenage worries?

"Is there a place that I can place Adam? I think he might sleep a little now."

Theo's eyes went wild with worry at the sight of Adam unconscious in Evren's arms.

"Is he asleep? Is it from your magic or because of the plague? He was hit with a direct attack of it earlier. Is he not immune? Is he going to be like Sebastian?"

Abe and Evren shared a concerned glance. Theo had seen Evren perform the soothing spell himself, but they'd underestimated the amount of trauma Theo was dealing with. Seeing Adam sleeping was clearly triggering Theo in a way that they should have anticipated.

"Put him in Theo's room," Abe decided. "It's probably the quietest room at the moment. All the other kids are down here. Theo, why don't you watch over him?"

Theo stared at his father in disbelief, but nodded in agreement. Things had to be dire for one of his parents letting Adam be alone in a room with his ex-boyfriend.

"Your father will be fine with it," Abe assured him. "I know how to talk to him. Just go and make sure that Adam is sleeping normally and not because of the plague. You know what to look for, so you're the best candidate. Get any one of us adults if his condition changes."

Evren shot Abe a bemused look, but allowed Theo to lead him upstairs to his room.

Adam only remained unconscious for about ten minutes after Evren left them. Theo had tried to play on his phone or watch some tv quietly, but every time that he turned his head and saw Adam sleeping, he started to panic. Sebastian was sleeping. Remy was sleeping. Adam could be falling into an eternal sleep while Theo was completely clueless.

It had only taken a few shakes on his shoulder to wake Adam. Theo heaved a heavy sigh of relief when Adam's eyes opened and groggily stared at him.

"T-Theo? Am I in your bedroom?"

"You're okay? Thank god. I...I thought that maybe you were...like the others. I didn't know what to do if you didn't wake up."

"Was everything tonight a dream?" Adam asked hopefully. He didn't look surprised when Theo shook his head no. "How long was I asleep? Did the coven wake up my dad yet?"

"It's been ten minutes. Nothing's changed, sorry. I should have let you sleep. Maybe then you'd wake up when we had more information. I just couldn't worry that you-you wouldn't wake up."

"I don't think that I'll ever want to fall asleep again," Adam groaned. "All of this is too much. Way too much. I don't even know how to deal with any of this."

"I'll help you," Theo promised, grabbing Adam's hands for reassurance. Adam tried not to react to the feel of Theo's skin against his. This was not the time to pine over the boyfriend he had lost. "I told you earlier that I'm going to save Sebastian no matter what. We're going to do it together. I don't know how, but I know that I need you to help me. We're going to prove your uncle right. This is our destiny."

"Our destiny?" Adam repeated. Everything in his body still felt hollow and his mind struggled to deal with all that he'd heard and seen. To hear Theo talk about their shared role in fixing Jubilant Accosts after he'd previously completely rejected the idea was disorienting. Was he still dreaming? "Are you sure?"

Theo nodded.

"Sebastian needs me and you need me. I can feel something telling me that this is important. That I have to do something important."

Adam cocked his head to the side, trying to imagine Theo following voices like his sister. It was something he'd never done in all the years Adam had known him.

"You know this the same way Rien knows about things?" he asked cautiously. "I mean, your sister is awesome and I'm not judging, but is this something new?"

Theo shrugged.

"Maybe? It's not voices though, just a feeling. A really strong feeling. Besides, Rien always says that the spirits think I'm too demon to be of any use to them. I'm sure it's nothing. Maybe it's some magical residue from all the spells cast tonight. I don't know."

Adam nodded but remained silent. It hurt more than anything to remember everything that had happened that night, but some things were impossible to forget.

"Look, I know I've been a jerk about some things," he began, his face suddenly feeling hot. "I-I'm sorry about fighting with Sebastian. About not listening to you when you said he wasn't part of a scheme with his father. He's not my favourite person, but I was wrong about him. He deserves you."

Adam looked away, unable to see Theo's reaction to his words. They were hard enough to say as it was.

"I appreciate you saying that. I do. Things are just all so messed up and complicated right now. I can't even think straight. If it makes you feel any better, I think he knew that you weren't really mad at him, just at the situation. I told him that you just needed time to adjust. He really wanted to talk about dream magic with you."

"Yeah, I remember." Adam's face was still flushed with guilt at the reminder. "I still care about you, Theo. I know you don't care about me anymore, but I was jealous of him. I don't know why I'm telling you this. Almost dying must have that effect on me."

Theo smiled kindly.

"I do still care about you, Adam. I always will. Our relationship may have changed, but I'll always care about you. Always. We're going to fix this together. I promise."

Adam squeezed Theo's hand for reassurance. A few hours ago, he would have assumed that Theo was just being cruel to him. Now? Who knew what was possible?

"Together."

[luverofralts]

My whole blog is marked as explicit for some reason and my side blog @notsosimstober was deleted without my consent, so if I disappear, it's not by my choice.

Reblog this post if you are a Simblr who WILL NOT DELETE THEIR ACCOUNT

If you are found to be deactivated later on (Simblrs are going missing!), we will raise the alarm to Support that your account was deleted without your consent. This is a major issue right now and we need to protect and help each other. 

[luverofralts]

Since EA has decided to ruin the Sims 2 premades in The Sims 4, it is only fair that I ruin the Sims 4 premades in The Sims 2.

This is Princess Ess combined with Princess Zaghawa Maximus into one sim.

I imagine her stats something like this:

Aspiration: Fortune/Romance Zodiac sign: Cancer Personality: 5 Neat, 2 Outgoing, 7 Active, 5 Playful, 6 Nice Traits: Hot-Headed, Natural Born Performer, Nurturing, Snob, Virtuoso

Her husband is a Criminal Mastermind! It's said that he was known as a chauvinist pig until he met his match in Princess Zaghawa. We really need him created too, I think...

As with when I uploaded Stella, I want to spend some space talking about something important.

A study published in January 2024 showed that 1 in 3 pets are homeless. Yes, 1 in 3! Across 20 countries studied there are almost 362 million homeless cats and dogs!

Hundstallet (“the Dog Stable”) has since its inception taken in homeless dogs in Sweden and helped them find new homes. 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year round. They receive no government funding - this is completely funded by donations from the public!

You can donate to Hundstallet here! The donation is listed in SEK Swedish Krona. You can check a currency converter to figure out what donation would be reasonable for you.

As for Princess...

Download at Simblr.cc!

[luverofralts]

Tumblr has deleted the Sims event @notsosimstober with no warning and no justification

Remember the yearly event where simmers post Halloween pictures one day each in October? The event that didn't happen one year so a group of other devoted simmers made their own event for the past two years?

Well. Tumblr has now, for no reason at all, deleted the blog.

This in combination with how @luverofralts and many other sims tumblrs who've been on this website for years are now having their posts hidden from tags and falsely marked as explicit, seems a pretty clear message to me. The fact that it's happening while actual pornbots and scammers are on the site with surviving accounts that very much show up in tags is incredibly telling. Rather than crack down on harmful content it's choosing harmless, long-standing creators and niche communities and fandom spaces.

It's hard to see this as anything other than a complete lack of care for the community that's kept this hellsite alive for so many years.

[luverofralts]

I've just found another old post has gone missing. Does anyone know why tumblr would do this?

These are my download posts I'm talking about, from years ago. I didn't touch any of these old posts, but there are definatley some missing.

If you are looking for something of mine, here is my old blog: https://decatsims2.blogspot.com/

and here is my SFS folder for TS2 CC: http://simfileshare.net/folder/245449/

[luverofralts]

Arkhelios Adventures

Adam held his fingers to his temples, trying to fight against the dream plague when he'd already seen his sister and father succumb to it before his eyes. They had collapsed in seconds though, while Adam had been struggling for minutes already. Whatever Coby Wall had thrown at him wasn't consuming him like he'd expected. If anything, the illness that was currently trying to overwhelm him felt more like a tickle than a threat. There was no pain like the pain he'd assumed his father and sister had felt, judging by the agonizing looks of their faces. All the magical pressure Adam felt was closer to having to sneeze than actual pain.

"He's fighting it. He's actually fighting it." The elder Adam Darktide watched his nephew with amazement. It had taken him years of dedicated study to control dream magic, but his nephew was slowly shaking off the dream sickness with very little training. He couldn't know the proper skills or theory without years of study, but just using dream magic to survive, Adam was doing surprisingly well.

Across from the dead warlock, Despina and Theo were clearly trying to help Adam, despite not having a clue of what to do. Seeing Despina with friends, and performing magic warmed her father's heart. Despina had an exceptional career ahead of her. Her cousin had the dream gene forced upon him, and as a result, he would always use dream magic for survival or necessity. Despina had the gift and her father could see a version of himself reflected within her. Back when he'd been happy, with dreams of his own. Despina would someday make magic, true, beautiful magic, of her own. She could be the magic user that Adam had dreamed he would one day be...but only if he could get his daughter safely away from Coby.

"I won't let you win," Adam grunted, struggling to dispel the magic flooding his mind. "I left a crack in between the two realms. I summoned Luna to speak with Theo. I helped create this plague by allowing Jubilant Accosts to become more like our realm. Dream magic chose me! I was torn apart and reassembled and it chose me! I don't want it all, but it's something that called to me that you can't control. I may have fucked everything up, and I'm not as good as Despina might be, but this is my turf now and you can't beat me on it."

Coby dropped to his knees, clutching the arm that had been outstretched toward Adam. The teen's rejection of the plague was forceful enough to have physically pushed the assassin away and off of his guard.

Xylon was supposed to be dealing with this. Coby could direct the sickness as a weapon by influencing the magic around it, and he'd come prepared with an amulet Xexys had assured him would protect him from basic spells, but Coby couldn't fight the raw power of this teenager. Taisto and his daughter's magic was elegant and as subtle as falling asleep. This magic that had somehow countered Coby's was jagged and rough, ugly and desperate. It was raw, oozing from this boy like an open sore. The magic wasn't right at all. It was sickly and twisted and...felt just like how the magic Coby could touch around the plague felt.

The boy was immune to the sickness. The first realization of dread hit Coby as he stared at the angry teen and Xylon's immobile form before him. Whatever the boy had been shouting about didn't seem to phase his uncle, giving Coby a reasonable excuse to retreat. There was clearly something else going on that Coby hadn't been aware of. He had never seen anyone with an immunity to the plague carefully crafted by the Demon of Nightmares and his followers. Somehow, this Adam had gotten himself entangled in magic that Coby didn't understand, but his least favourite Darktide did.

An assassin was not a soldier. He didn't follow blindly into situations he could not control. At this point, he was likely safer to retreat and evaluate how Sebastian would continue to spread the illness on top of those already infected at the academy.

"Until we meet again, Darktides," he declared, giving both Adams a cryptic look. "And we will meet again."

With a cynical wave, Coby seamlessly disappeared into the night, leaving the rest of the teens and coven members stunned. Alicia still tried to send a fire ball into the darkness, hoping to hit Coby with blind luck. The ball of fire fizzled out without hitting a target.

"Damn!" she shouted. "I never miss. God damn assassins! Why does Pleasantview even need an asset they can't control?"

"Patience, young one," Ben chided. "Ninety-nine percent of the time, the assassins serve us. It's this damn reaper business that's breaking the system. If we could force our undead king to retire then maybe-"

"The queen said that her father cannot break his term as a reaper and she wouldn't let him if he could," Evren interrupted, before Ben could lead a rebellion of his own. "We don't know what would happen if the magic were to break anyway. It could make things worse to remove Ewan Goldman from his reaper duties. With a man as diabolical as Coby, I'm sure that he's prepared for that circumstance as well."

"True, it's possible," Ben sighed. "Her Majesty asks us to trust her, and we will obey. There has to be some kind of loophole though."

"There isn't," Evren reminded his colleague. "If you had bothered to come to the coven meeting where we discussed the matter of assassin's master, you would have known that it was a mistake of the Grim Reaper that Ewan was approved for-that's not important right now. How do we manage this situation? Our coven leader is out of commission, so it's down to a vote. The coven needs to convene and decide on our plans for the future. I doubt that Coby Wall is done with us."

Ben and Alicia stared at the collapsed demon caught in their trap. His eyes and ears were strange, clearly marking him as something new and potentially dangerous. In a nation as old as Pleasantview, new things didn't just show up on their doorstep every day.

"We need to lock this demon up before he regains consciousness," Alicia decided. "We'll use every known demon trap to guard him, just in case. The Demonic Sovereign will likely want to examine him as well. A new demonic species that doesn't bow to her? Her vanity may be of use to us."

"I'll speak with Abe's sister about him," Evren agreed. "She's married to the Sovereign, after all and I know how much she loves tying up demons. Call our coven medics, Ben. We need to get the injured to safety, while keeping a safe distance from their bodies. We're not sure how exactly this illness spreads."

He looked at the young boy on the cold ground only a few meters away from him.

Theo was head over heels for this boy, or that's what Evren assumed, as all of Theo's conversations with him over the past few months had all been about Sebastian. He'd once spoken about Adam the way he did about Sebastian, so Evren and Adrian had prepared themselves to hear all about Theo's wild wedding plans with Sebastian at every family dinner. His stepson was boy crazy, and he deserved to be a happy teen with a string of love interests that drove his parents up the wall. This was the second time that Theo's relationships had led to tragedy and Evren's heart broke for the boy.

"Theo, come here." Evren extended his arms and Theo rushed into them, glad for parental guidance for the first time in his life. "Theo, you have to go home now. I promised your parents that I would get you out of this danger and I intend to keep my promise. Teleport home. Yours parents are waiting."

"B-but Sebastian," Theo protested. His eyes kept glancing in the direction of Sebastian's body, only for short bursts of time. He couldn't bring himself to look at the lifeless body of his boyfriend, and Evren's heart broke even more for the two teens. This wasn't fair. They both deserved better.

"Theo, I promise you that I will take care of Sebastian, Remy and Master Maricourt," Evren assured his stepson. "We're going to have our magical medics look at them and do what they can. We're much more advanced than Jubilant Accosts. They'll be safe and protected, I promise. You need to go home and be with your family. Go on."

Evren had already done the calculations in his head, just as he could see that Alicia had done as well, judging by her reaction to Theo leaving. Theo had been very close to Sebastian's body all night, and if Sebastian was truly a bomb intent on infecting as many people as possible, letting Theo leave to go infect Arkhelios might start a pandemic. Adam had been able to push away the illness with some kind of immunity though and whatever happened to Adam, statistically usually happened to Theo as well. Theo had stood beside Sebastian, no doubt making contact with his body earlier, and he was still standing. It was safe enough to send him home to the Bellamys. If Theo didn't come home, Roman would likely come to collect his son, exposing him to the dream illness anyway.

"Sebastian? Can you hear me?"

The elder Adam Darktide pulled Sebastian's still body into his surprisingly solid arms. Despina watched cautiously, trying to follow any hand movements her father made or any noticeable tricks that could make his projection of himself able to hold physical things.

"This wasn't supposed to happen," Adam whispered, searching his son's face for some indication that Sebastian was hearing him. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't think-didn’t imagine you being a normal kid who needed me. I still thought about you every day for the rest of my life. I assumed between Coby and I, there wasn't much good for you to inherit. You're better than us somehow. I never thought...."

Adam motioned to his daughter to join him, noticing the way she was watching him.

"I can't hold physical form for much longer, but I need your help. There's a chance that we can try to enter your brother's dream. It's a small chance, and only I can try it. I don't want you getting infected by touching his dream and the technique is too complicated to teach you in the time I have left. It is magic at the college level, and you don't have the foundations understood yet. You could cause damage to both you and your brother. Do you understand?"

Despina nodded quickly, eager to help.

"Okay, what do I do?"

When Edana rematerialized at the academy, she couldn't believe her eyes. Evren, Alicia, and Ben were casting binding spells on the mysterious accomplice that Coby Wall had introduced at parent-teacher day. Adam was bawling his eyes out next to his father's still body, and Remy was as still as a discarded doll, her limbs splayed in an unnatural position.

To her complete surprise, there was another visitor to the academy, one that was currently cradling the body of the son he'd never bothered to follow up on. Her blood felt like it was boiling in her veins. Her brother didn't get to come here and mourn the child he'd given up for dead. He didn't get to just show up in her life again with missions for her to carry out on his behalf. She was done with him. He had ruined everything. Her child and ex-husband lay on the ground, possibly dead. Adam was going to pay for this.

"You piece of shit! Ewan is dead because of you! My daughter is dead! You've brought this on me and my family and you dare show up to mourn the son you never cared about? I wish you weren't dead so I could kill you myself!"

"Eden, I-"

"Never call me that again," Edana hissed. "It's not my name and you're not my brother. My brother is dead and gone and out of my life."

Edana dug her foot into Adam's arm, thrilled that she could inflict at least some pain on her brother to show her hatred of him.

"How dare you come back and harass my family! How dare you think that you could just walk back into my life! I tried to save you until your very last breath and now you're sorry? I'm done playing your games and solving your mysteries! I'm done raising your kids and pretending that they're part of my family! The last thing I need is two versions of you and your whore girlfriend running around, pretending to be Darktides!"

"Edana, listen to yourself!" Adam shouted. "My children are Darktides, more so than you these days. I've made mistakes, but at least I'm sorry about them. You don't care who you hurt, as long as you get to be the victim. Get over yourself before you lose everyone else in your life."

Edana's eyes were wild, furious that her brother would ever speak to her this way. Even when he was alive, Adam barely responded to her rants, always nodding and waiting for her to move on to something else.

"I am the victim here," she spat. "My family is over there on the ground, probably dead because of your little scheme here."

"And what about my children?" Adam countered. "It's not my fault that you can't protect your kids. At least I have the excuse of being dead."

The two Darktide siblings locked eyes, pure animosity flowing between them. Despina had never seen her aunt so angry and while she had only ever spoken to her father briefly, Despina could see the same anger and resentment reflected in his face.

"You killed Dad!" Edana finally snapped. "You killed our entire coven! Your bastard son is likely dead beside you, and I'm the bad one?"

"Bringing up Dad? That's low even for you, Edana. Why do you think that-"

With an audible pop, Adam vanished from view. A small amount of pooling mist was the only sign that he'd ever been there.

"Finally," Alicia sighed, putting away her wand. "I thought this stupid sibling drama would never end. Our coven leader is incapacitated, Edana. There are more important issues than fighting with your brother like a child."

Evren and Ben nodded in agreement. If Alicia hadn't sent away the dead warlock, Evren had a few ideas of his own to break up the fighting. It was unprofessional to reject the coven that needed your help to squabble with your sibling, even if he was dead. Edana certainly wasn't winning over the confidence of the coven in Ewan's absence.

"And you!"

Edana ignored her peers to face her son. Adam was now crying by his sister's side, completely oblivious of anything around him, even Theo's absence. He stood up, expecting a hug or praise for how well he'd handled himself against Coby. His mother had other ideas though.

"Why didn't you protect your sister?" Edana demanded angrily. "With all that power from that demon, you couldn't even keep her safe?"

"What?" Adam was baffled at the accusation. He stared in disbelief at the woman who'd raised him before he found the words to reply to her. "What was I supposed to do? She was three meters away from me, fighting next to Theo and Despina. I was trying to see if Dad was okay and I couldn't reach-"

"What happened to your father?" Edana demanded impatiently. "Was he here alone?"

"N-no," Adam stammered, fresh tears in his eyes as his mind was forced to remember what had happened earlier. "Theo and I were here...and-and then Despina and Remy showed up, and Coby said that he was going to kill you but you weren't there so-so he'd have to kill me instead and Dad pushed me out of the way of Coby's attack. He pushed me so the spell hit him instead and...and he won't wake up. I've tried everything, Mom. I've really tried, but I don't know how to use dream magic or break this plague. And I'm really afraid that Dad and Remy will never wake up and it's all my fault. You have to help me, they won't wake up."

A dark look passed over Edana's face at these words. It was like a switch had been flipped in her brain and she was somehow even angrier than before.

"You killed our father!" she screeched at a volume that might have woken the plague victims. "He's dead because of you! He sacrificed himself to save you and what have you done to deserve it? I wish it had been you that died! You should have died instead!"

"M-mom?"

Alicia and Evren shared an exhausted look. Edana was losing it and quickly devolving into a mess before their eyes.

"Tranquilizer spell?" Alicia offered. "She's never been this bad before. At least, not that I've seen anyway. When the rest of the coven rejoins us, I feel like Edana might be safest somewhere far from our discussions."

"Agreed. Edana has lost the ability to be objective. She's going to traumatize her son even more than he already is. Look, do you think that you can lead the coven until we can all decide on a replacement for Ewan? Those who are protecting the queen and crown princess can stand down for now. Coby's plan has clearly ended for the night, and Her Majesty is more than capable of defending herself against any ordinary threat. We need to convene together to decide our next move."

Alicia beamed at the suggestion. Could she lead the coven instead of being stuck in Arkhelios? Absolutely.

"Where are you going? You're probably among the most qualified warlock for the job. You've seen things in your home dimension that I couldn't imagine. I'll gladly lead the coven, but is there something that you're not telling me about all of this?"

Evren shook his head.

"My first loyalty is supposed to be to the coven," he explained. "I've never been good at making it a priority though and as long as I know that it's in your capable hands, I can focus on my family. Theo's going to need my help recovering from this, and his parents will need my expertise. And Adam? I know him well enough that he trusts me and that kid is going to need an adult he can count on."

"True, but try to check in with me when you can. You're respected in our coven, and your opinion matters to a lot of people. Your name might be suggested to replace Ewan."

"I'm honoured by the thought, but decline for me if I'm nominated. My stepson and Apprentice Maricourt Darktide need me more than the coven at the moment. Our apprentices must be looked after just as much as a full coven member."

"Ewan! Remy!"

Edana sobbed uncontrollably, kneeling beside her daughter and ignoring the rest of the world.

Adam cleared his throat and took a small step forward. He needed his mother's reassurance, but he was afraid that she was going to snap at him again.

"M-mom? Do you think Dad and Remy are going to be okay? I don't know how to help."

Edana growled st the reminder of her son's presence. She looked up at him, her eyes filled with anger.

"Haven't you done enough? You could have saved our father, Adam. Y-your father, I mean. You were standing right there, why didn't you attack?"

"He's just an apprentice, Edana. For god's sake, even you couldn't have defeated Coby, so lay off Adam. He's your fucking son!"

If Edana heard Alicia's words, she didn't respond. Instead, her eyes remained glued on her son, never wavering in their anger.

"And your demon? What about your cousin? Neither of them could save my daughter? You know that your sister isn't as strong as you are with magic. You let her down."

"She's stronger than she lets on," Evren interrupted. "It's well known that Remy purposely tries to appear less skilled than she is, and even if she didn't, that's not on Adam if she's injured. Adam couldn't change anything that's happened here. He's done his absolute best."

"You're just like him, just like my brother," Edana hissed, ignoring Evren. "You killed your father just like he did. It was a curse naming you after him. You're a curse on this family, just like him. Your father should have saved himself and let you be destroyed. Your father knew more than you've ever known. He could have gotten us through this crisis. You can't do anything without that demon of yours and I can see that he's nowhere in sight, leaving you helpless. You can hide behind that whore of yours and cry about your children, but you're not worth Dad's life. You never have been."

"Edana! We will take control of this scene, and do what we can to help those lost to the illness. You need to leave before I expell you from the property and make a motion to revoke your membership in this coven!" Evren shouted. Alicia nodded in agreement beside him. "You are not allowed to harass an apprentice of this coven. You've lost your mind and are speaking nonsense at a time when your son needs you most. Go home, spend time with the children you still have and we will discuss this later when you are in control of yourself."

Evren turned to look at Adam, who was quivering from his mother's words. His eyes were full of tears, though he tried to fight against them so that his mother didn't shout at him for crying.

"Adam, listen to me. Your mother is confused. Her mind is poisoned by lies and trauma she hasn't resolved. You're completely fine and have nothing wrong. Listen to me. You have done nothing wrong."

A tear ran down Adam's face, despite his efforts to keep from crying. Evren's words were nice, but Adam had seen the look in his mother's eyes. He could still see the hatred in them even now.

"I'm sorry, I should have tried harder," he said, tears now freely flowing down his face. "I didn't know...I don't know. I'm sorry."

Adam disappeared into a shower of sparkles before Evren could get to him.

"Goddammit!" he swore, glaring at Edana. "This didn't have to happen. Now I need to hunt down your son and keep him from doing anything stupid just because you're a mess. Clearly, Ewan has been covering for you more extensively than I thought. If anything happens to Adam, I will make it my mission to see you removed from yet another coven."

When Edana refused to reply, Evren sighed and pulled his phone out of his pocket.

"Roman? Yes, I'm glad Theo arrived safely. I'll be over there shortly, I just need to speak with Theo for a minute. Yes, it's important. Just put him on the phone, Roman."

Evren groaned while Roman called for his son. Adam had lost his father and twin sister, and his mother had just attacked him. That left only a small number of places that the teen would feel safe running to. His half-siblings that lived with Edana and Ewan weren't an option, as Edana would eventually come home and find him. Evren didn't know if there was a boyfriend in Adam's life or even a good friend for him to go to. If anyone knew where Adam felt safe, it would be Theo, despite their breakup.

"Hello? Theo? Yes, I'm fine. We're working on getting everyone help, don't worry about that. I do need your help though, Theo. Can you think of anywhere that Adam might go if he was feeling threatened? Yes, really. I would cast a location spell if I thought it would be accurate in a situation like this, but because I have many years of experience that you don't, I didn't consider it. Thank you, Theo. If all goes well, I'll be over to meet with you and your parents soon. Goodbye."

Evren hung up his phone and looked at Alicia with concern.

"I'm going to Crystal Cove," he announced. "Hold down the fort here, and hopefully, I'll be back soon with Adam. I'm not sure what we can do to help him, but at least he'll be safe with his coven."