sirianasims

[sirianasims]

📸 Story Poses: Love Triangle Trio Poses

Apologies for dropping off the face of the earth there. I've been so busy with work, (Yay! Employment!) and haven't had much time to work on cc at all. But since I recently got sick after traveling (boo, illness) but that gave me enough time off to wrap up these poses for ya'll! Additionally, I have a little CAS set about 90% done (again, thank you illness) but I hope you enjoy these in the meantime! These poses were requested by my sweet friend @molloopsytoo, and are inspired by the promotional photoshoot done for the recently released A24 Movie The Materialists! I think they're so joyful and fun and I hope you have fun playing with them too.

This pose pack is organized into 5 different pose sets, each with a couple different poses. It's like having tiny all-in-one animations instead of clicking through 60 individual poses. Set 1 is made for an Island Counter. Please place the teleporter knight in the center of the counter, or better yet check out this new mod by JohnBaccarat over on MTS. I've been using it to align sims and it's absolutely fabulous and worth checking out! There will probably be clipping with larger sims using these poses. Unfortunately with the tools we have right now, I can't IK hands to other sims rigs. BUT! Feel free to adjust anything you need for personal use if you're feeling adventurous.

That's all! Tag me if you use them if you'd like! I'd love to see what your sims are up to!

TERMS OF USE

SIMBLR | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | BLUESKY

DOWNLOAD FREE ON PATREON 💚

@ts4-poses

[sirianasims]

Chapter 14.3 - Dating for Weirdos, Take #2

Akira doesn’t know what Alice is going to say about being in relationship. The chances of her answer being “fuck no” is high. After all, he showed up out of nowhere to declare his devotion, confess to stalking, and inform her that her boyfriend would be his boyfriend too.

But gods, he hopes that's not what she says. He hopes she feels even an ounce of what he feels. She's quiet for a moment, nervously twisting her fingers and then:

“Y-yes.”

“Yes?” he repeats. When she nods, he lets out a breath. "Thank fuck. I been fantasizing about kissing you for weeks. So yes to that too?"

“Yeah, if you want to. I mean, you don’t have to if—”

Akira moves like lightning, grabbing her waist and tilting her head back so he can capture her mouth and swallow the rest of her words. Her lips are soft and she makes these small sounds of pleasure that he wants to play on a loop nonstop while he figures out how to get her to make more of them.

Akira tastes magic and he can't tell if its his own seeping in from that first promise, or a thread of something Alice inherited from an ancestor long gone.

He can feel Vlad’s eyes on them, too, which just ramps up the excitement. When Alice cups the side of his head and strokes his ear, it takes everything not to lift her up and wrap her legs around his waist.

"Mercy," he whispers against the seam of her lips. "Mercy or we will end up on that bed and I will embarrass myself."

Alice drops her hand with a soft laugh, but not before she runs her finger along tip of his ear one more time.

"Imp," he teases, and bites her lip.

She pulls back panting, her smile wide but then worry flashes across her face when she looks at Vladislaus. He's staring at them with a combination of curiosity, hunger, and something Akira reads as danger.

"Is he...did I do something wrong?" she stutters.

"No," Akira assures her, stepping between them on instinct.

Something ripples beneath Vlad's skin as he, and whatever creature is inside him, take turns blinking back. He licks his lips. “Are you going to kiss me?” 

Akira stalks towards him, aroused and amused. “That depends. Do you want me to kiss you, or are you trying to start a fight?”

“I don’t know," he replies honestly, letting Akira back him up onto the bed. He swings out, his hand flexing like it might actually have claws but none descend. Akira catches his wrist easily.

"Think about it," he purrs, "You can have a kiss, but you’ll have to play nice for it."

The pulse in Vlad's neck jumps as the air around him grows wilder. “But I’m not nice,” he replies, his voice flat and unnatural.

“I said play,” Akira reminds him. Later, when things were calmer they would need to figure out what Vlad was and how to maneuver around him safely. Akira could survive an accidental maiming, Alice not so much. He grips Vlad's chin, staring down the creature behind his eyes. “I know you know how to play.”

"Play?" Vladislaus repeats the word like he's tasting it for the first time. When Akira presses a thumb into his mouth, he bites it without breaking the skin.

“See?” Akira chuckles, "Playing is better."

The air moves from wild to electric. Vlad is tense until he’s not, the fight slipping out of him as his limbs go loose, and that’s when Akira kisses him.

Kissing Vladislaus is different from kissing Alice. If anything, Akira is more careful. He brushes his lips against Vlad’s mouth, keeping a hand around his neck and then, slowly, tenderly, slips his tongue. Vlad arches into it, the sounds he makes shuttling between desperate and filthy. 

When they finally sit up, there is the barest exchange of magic that Akira again can’t account for.

They don’t quite have a rhythm yet. Alice is shy about climbing onto the bed with them until Vlad apologizes and insists he loves watching her kiss Akira.

"Why did you seem upset?" she asks.

"Not upset," Vlad replies smoothly, and Akira wonders again if he is some kind of fae. "I was just...somewhere else."

For all his spying, Akira is out of the loop on their inside jokes, but he is happy to lie on the bed with them, while they playfully argue about some romance soap opera they both watch.

Eventually, the threat of Alice’s roommate returning forces Vlad and Akira out. By the time Akira meets them on campus the next night for a movie date, he’s already decided they need a house because fuck if he's gonna be slipping out under the cover of dark like he's a teenager.

How he’ll rebuild his magic enough to secure a house is still a mystery. But he’ll figure it out.

“Our movie date is in the student center?” Alice asks, clutching Vlad’s hand as they approach. When she leans her head on his shoulder, Akira's heart stutters.

They are really his. All the effort paid off. He waits to feel less obsessed.

It doesn't happen.

“Pre-movie snack,” he replies followed by a smirk. “Yesterday you said that the mini-cupcakes in the cafeteria were the only thing on the planet worth eating and I aim to please.”

“I mean, it's true," she insists, arching a brow. "Although weirdly, I’m not that hungry."

“Well, I am,” Vlad announces. "I'm starving and its making me disgruntled when I would otherwise be such pleasant company."

It's an oddly true statement, at least for Akira and Alice. Vlad might be a brat but he is surprisingly sanguine around them. Though undoubtedly there's not another being on the planet who would describe him as "pleasant" company.

Maybe his mother.

Alice grabs both of their hands as they walk inside, which Akira takes as a good sign of her comfort.

He enjoys the feeling so much, he doesn’t even mind the crowd of students around them.

But maybe he should have been less comfortable. If he wasn't so head over heels, he would've paid attention to their surroundings. 

He would have intervened, seen the bad omen coming, and stopped it somehow. Instead, he thought about why Wes's chirpy greeting annoyed the shit out of him while Alice's generally sunny disposition made him smile.

He watched, with some interest, as Vlad looked around the room with hunger in his eyes while making no move towards the cafeteria.

And there was no way he would've really known how things were going to turn out anyway. Akira was just an elf and foresight was for fucking oracles.

PREV

And thus concludes the first part of my story!

Don't worry, these three lunatics will literally be back in a few days for their next adventure. But after months of writing (sometimes in circles), falling in love with characters I never expected, and giving myself grace to let ideas die, I feel like I've finally found my rhythm.

So what's changing?

Well, I'm not gonna light these first 14 chapters on fire. I consider them to be my initial world-building. From here on out, though, I'll be breaking everything into separate mini-stories. Sometimes they'll be long-form, sometimes they'll be captions that feel more like a comic book. Ever since I read This is How You Lose the Time War, I been obsessed with writing a mini-story that's completely epistolary (told through letters and documents and whatnot). I'm getting distracted, lol, but you get the point. The stories will all connect and things that happen in one might influence another, so it'll be more like rotational gameplay.

I think this will help me with the burnout that comes from trying to write one long linear piece. It also means when I fall in love with a set of characters ::cough, cough Akira, Alice, and Vlad cough, cough:: I can just break off write something cool for them. Plus, I'm a whore for lore, so if I'm gonna write about murder in the magic realm, I can completely immerse myself because I'm not also trying to keep a billion other storylines going at the same time.

(Guys, there is 100% a murder in the Magic Realm and you know Jacques Villareal is INVOLVED).

But like how, babe?

Every story will have its own navigation post with the chapters listed, so it's easier to keep track of (yes, it only took me like 10 months to understand Tumblr enough to come up with this solution 😒 lol). And every story will be complete...although complete doesn't mean resolved ::cue evil laughter::

But for real, I hope this means you can jump in at any point and enjoy the ride without having read everything that came before it.

Fine, cool, can you like wrap this up?

Yep. So, I have to update my main navigation, put the final touches on some character posts and finish the new opening credits (Blender hyper-focus paid off, y'all!) but everything is almost ready.

So I hope you'll keep hanging out and join our resident throuple for their next adventure: Monster Date Night. A silly little college ghost hunt, horny coeds, and things that go bump in the night—what could go wrong?

See ya soon 😈

[sirianasims]

SIRIIIII! Wanted to let you know I am wishing you good luck with all your hard work and that I am really looking forward to seeing you back here! Julia and Paul and Don and whatever else you have coming our way! Yeah!

YOU GOT THIS! ❤️

Ahhh, thank you Igs, my beloved! My personal life kinda imploded mid-thesis so I've had to postpone the actual hand-in until September and deal with everything, but hopefully I'll have time to do a little Sims writing on the side soon, I miss my pixels and I really miss everyone else's stories! I have also been sneakily following the Auggie and Aurelia drama but I'm going to go back and reread properly when I have time for Tumblr again! ❤️

Thank you so much for sending this, it really makes me happy to know I haven't been forgotten even though I've been gone for so long 🥹❤️🫂

[sirianasims]

Chapter 14.2 - Dating for Weirdos, Take #2

“So fairies are real,” Alice says, peering over a giant stack of pancakes.

“I am not a fairy,” Akira corrects, eyeing her plate. Is she really gonna eat all that? “Fairies are assholes.”

“But you listed a bunch of creatures that are all fae and fairies were on the list,” she points out. “So they are real.”

"Okay," Akira replies slowly, tugging at the frayed edges of his patience, "Yeah, fairies are real. You don’t have a different question?"

"I do."

"Great. Then—"

"But you said I can’t talk about Ghost Trackers, even though I love that show and I think ghosts are cool because, according to you, ghosts are also assholes."

Ghosts were assholes. But also, Alice was a curious little danger magnet and her interest in the supernatural world's most unpredictable group was giving him heart palpitations.

“Akira thinks everyone is an asshole,” Vlad adds as he signals the waitress for more plates. He divides up the pancakes between him and Alice, taking extra care to make sure she has the most syrup.

Suspiciously, there is no plate for Akira.

“I meant questions about this.” Akira gestures at the three of them. "You know, the three of us being in a relationship. Maybe one where we all get pancakes?"

Alice leans forward, elbow on the table, propping up her chin. “Pitch it to me again.”

AGAIN?

Akira can feel his eye twitching. He prefers this to Alice being scared. He understands that giving him a hard time is part of making her feel safe, but really, hasn't this gone on long enough? With a scoff, he reaches for her plate, intending to take a bite, when Alice gives him a look that would freeze water.

He scowls. "I can't have one fucking pancake?"

"No!" she exclaims. "I barely have enough pancakes for myself and Vlad, and we need all of them so that we can hear everything you're saying to us about this situation."

It was an unhinged response.

Akira covers his face with his hands and smothers a groan. "Alright. What part do you want me to explain again?" he bites out slowly.

Alice doesn't miss a beat. "All of it."

After explaining the entire scope of the supernatural world for a second time, Akira is sure he is off the hook. He's wrong, of course, because he underestimated them. Akira wanted brats; he expected brats, and what he got was a demonic tag team.

Alice invites him and Vlad back to her dorm, where she spends exactly twenty-five minutes seated on Vlad’s lap while he asks increasingly circular questions about elves and their bargains. Akira finds himself torn between being horny over the wordplay and the way the two of them are flirting with each other and being annoyed at having to answer more non-relationship questions.

After declaring that Akira has failed to give a single correct answer, Vlad announces that he’s going to read a book. Delusion makes Akira hopeful that he can get things back on track. He gets comfortable with Alice on the floor. They chat, and just when she seems relaxed enough for him to broach the topic of a relationship again, Vlad interrupts.

“Not to throw a wrench into this conversation,” he says, clearly thrilled to be doing just that, “But Magpie, didn't you want to ask Akira about something he said to you when you first met?”

Dread gathers in the pit of Akira’s stomach. Please don't let this be about his promise to watch that stupid tv show.

“Oh, yeah!” Alice frowns. “You made me a promise. You said you’d watch a season of 7 Wild Dates with me, but you didn’t watch it.”

It's not a question. The amount of willpower it takes stop himself from pointing that out is agonizing. So is the disappointment on Alice's face, which Akira quickly realizes he can’t fucking stand and will do anything to stop from happening. “Whoa, I didn’t break my promise,” he replies soothingly. “I just didn’t watch the show yet.”

“The barest of technicalities,” Vlad hums from his spot perched on Alice’s ottoman. He turns another page of the book he almost certainly not reading. 

“But don’t you have to keep your promises?” Alice asks. “Because it's a bargain, so like, I’m getting magic tendrils from you as payment until you fulfill it.” 

Akira tries to ignore the urge he has to explain in excruciating detail how the mechanics of a magical bargain are definitely not—gods help him—“magic tendrils.”

“Let’s not call it that for a second, okay?” He buries a grimace. “I didn’t break my promise. I’ve just been holding onto it because it feels good to owe you something.”

“Oh!” Vlad tosses the book behind him and rests his chin on his hand in a perfect caricature of thoughtful innocence. “So it’s masturbation.” 

“IT IS?” Alice gasps

"Hold on," Akira stumbles to his feet on instinct. It's a mistake because it shows fear and the two of them immediately sense it. In seconds, they're on their feet too, and they smell blood in the water. 

“You’re masturbating to promising me something?” Alice looks half-intrigued. “Wait, like every night or…”

“No,” Akira says firmly, even though the answer, by the barest of technicalities, is obviously yes. “Get that out of your head.”

“So no, you’ve never jerked off and thought about me?” She twists around and steeples her fingers, dark delight dancing across her face. “Or no, you don’t want me to think about you jerking off when you think about me?”

Behind her, Vlad grins. “Yes, Akira, which one is it?”

“Do fairies have wings?” she wonders.

“We are not doing this,” Akira growls, “I am not a—”

“Fairy. I know. Do they jerk off?”

“I was wondering the same thing," Vlad adds, "Akira, what are the masturbatory habits of small winged creatures?”

If Akira's eye twitched any harder, it would leap out of its socket. “Fairies are not small. A small winged creature is a sprite, which I know you know because you made me explain it ten fucking times. Is this a joke? Are you two trying to drive me crazy?” 

“No,” Alice blinks politely. “I'm just trying to collect important information. Like, will sprites masturbate to making a bargain with me or does size matter?”

“Alright, that is enough,” Akira snaps. “You two have had your fun, but now that fun is over. We are not stalling and we are not having anymore distractions.” 

"I'm not stalling!" Alice yelps.

“You are," Akira replies, "And your little partner in crime is assisting you because he's a demon who thrives on chaos. I know you are freaked out about this entire situation because you are a hustler who protects your heart with the fierceness of godsdamned dragon.” He gives her a warning look. "But I am not put off by dragons. I will fight any number of them if it proves to you my devotion. So no more questions about what sprites do with their genitals and tell me straight up: yes or no to this relationship?"

PREV | NEXT

[sirianasims]

Back on my bullshit. Been channeling all my cat baby grief into learning Blender, lol. Made one of these for every character and working on a machinima in Blender so...um...prepare to be sick of me (sorry).

Chapters will resume next week and in the meantime, I'm gonna catch up on y'alls fabulous stuff.

BTW - the sword is by @lady-moriel and the poses are by @natalia-auditore. I believe in my heart Akira would slaughter a vampire and then sit on a bench and drink some boba 💀

ALSO STILL A BLENDER BABY because the dead vampire is floating slightly. I need to get better at rotating bones so I can tweak poses, but ugh, I'm fucking awful at it rn. Husband told me I can just pretend rigor mortis set in so let's all just go with that, ok? 😂

(thanks to @citylighten for being my blender partner in crime and literally keeping me sane and sharing every tip she finds)

[sirianasims]

Something about him is made for somebody like me...

[sirianasims]

DON LOTHARIO MAGAZINE COVER

This is a requested deco item from some friends on tumblr! The top image is a CAS accessory (not included, but hmu if you want it) whilst the bottom images are how the deco object looks. This requires budgie2budgie's open and closed magazine which you can find here.

Download Here!

[sirianasims]

May. 

The sun’s hot on the window. It beams into the centre, onto the side of my face. The birds must be singing—making a racket in the trees, the leaves of which I can only see the impression of, blurred through patterned glass. I lift one side of my headset to hear them, but any sound of burgeoning summer is drowned out by the cacophony of voices and the clacking of a dozen keyboards.

The call connects with a soft chime, and I straighten up.

“Good afternoon. You’re through to support. My name is Jude. How can I help you?” 

“Okay, where the fuck is my iPhone?”

Feel a thin smile on my lips. I will have quit this job by next week. 

“I understand that’s really frustrating. Let me take a look for you.”

The man—surely all head and no neck by the sound of his voice—barks me through the sequence of digits that is his order number, while I stare at the Freundlichkeit ist oberstes Gebot im Kundenkontakt sign pinned to the cubicle above my computer. Friendliness is the top priority in customer interaction. Feel a bit indignant looking at it—the one-sidedness of it. Like a little peasant, I rattle obliging phrases down the phone at this man who, according to my personal rules outside this place, is not allowed to speak to me like this. 

On this phone, however, he can say whatever he wants. 

“So it’s lost then?” he snarls once I’ve pulled up his order. “Who lost it? Who the fuck lost my phone?”

Take a breath. “I completely understand your frustration. I will raise a ticket with our logistics team to investigate, and if it has been confirmed missing, we will send a replacement or issue a refund. Whichever you prefer.”

“I’d prefer to have my iPhone now, like I was supposed to.”

“Thanks. Your feedback helps us improve. Is there anything else I can help you with today?”

He hangs up. 

I take my headset off and pinch the bridge of my nose between my fingers. I forgot to use his name on the call. The team lead flagged me for that last week, saying customers like to feel human, as though the entire system wasn’t designed to the contrary. 

Thirty seconds of reprieve before the next call hits. Just enough time to remember I’m a person.

Slide my phone from my pocket, and the home screen reveals one new message. 

Evie. 

Eagerly awaiting your lunch update, pls.  Trying a bubble tea atm. Tastes like nothing. 

A picture of her cup against the backdrop of South William Street. Red brick buildings. Cracking sun. It makes me feel depressed. Forty-three minutes until I’m allowed to access my sad sandwich in the company fridge. I’ll spare her a picture.

Start to type something back. 

Grim. Always thought those looked good, in a kind of freaky frogspawn way tbh. There’s a place–

Chime. A call connects. 

Phone back in the pocket. Headset back on. 

“Good afternoon. You’re through to support. My name is Jude. How can I help you?” 

In the evening, after escaping the call center, I sit with Astrid outside a bar in Mitte. Her long, bare legs are stretched out in the golden light. The garlic-slick remains of her prawn tapas sit in a dish on the table, and I, pencil to paper, sketch, for the hundredth time, a diagram of a clay sculpture. 

“You’re allowed to stop working,” she drawls, following several minutes of silence. “It is possible to enjoy a Friday evening if you put your mind to it.”

“Mm, I know,” paw for my glass of wine and drink some without looking up from the page. “Just with everything... the job’s killing me this week. Can’t wait for next week when I can finally… you know, quit.”

“Well, not everything you deliver has to be perfect. Your assignments don’t matter so much in second year.”

“I’d rather have something to show at the end of the semester. You see where I’m coming from?” I gesture to the page, the drawing of a head, my head maybe, though it will probably be a decision based on time once I get into the sculpture studio. 

She sighs, heavy and hassled, and adjusts her sunglasses on her nose. “If a genie granted me one wish, it would be that you could just relax and enjoy your life.”

“Thanks, that’s nice,” I say, not knowing whether she intended it to be or not. Too busy to care. 

A mask, I think. Yes, the head should have a mask on it. Kind of halfway off. Scrawl a note to find a book about that in the university library on Monday. 

“There she is,” Astrid says, no excitement in her voice, and I look up as Mia crosses the plaza. Jeans and a t-shirt, hair sticking out from her ponytail in a halo of frizz, and a blush from the vigour of her walk across her cheeks and nose. Same flat expression she wore at Christmas.

Astrid doesn’t stand to greet her, but cocks her head to the side, peering up at her sister through her shades. “Hello,” she says. “How are you?”

“Fine,” says Mia. “I like your top.” 

Astrid just smiles. Shows no teeth. 

To me, then: “Hello, Jude.”

I tuck my sketchbook onto my lap and gesture towards the empty seat. “Hey, good to see you again. Sit down. Do you want to look at the wine menu?”

“Ah,” she slumps into the chair, brushes bits of her hair away from her forehead. “No, I’m not drinking alcohol. Not before performing.” Takes the menu anyway, perusing it while Astrid swishes pinot noir around her glass. 

“And the rehearsals?” She says. “They were fine?”

“Yes, they went well,” Mia flips to the cocktail page. “I���ve been finding Rachmaninoff emotionally consuming. It’s probably the most demanding concerto I have had to perform, so I’m feeling tired.”

Astrid nods. 

“What about it is so demanding?” I say, and hope their perception of my intelligence isn’t hinging on my knowledge of Rachmaninoff and his concertos, or whatever. “Is it like, you know, long, or something?”

“Mm, thirty minutes, approximately. It’s more about the endurance needed.”

“Right, right.”

She peers at me. “You’re coming to the concert?”

“Tomorrow, yeah. With my mom and sister. They’re actually flying in tomorrow morning, so yeah. They’re excited. My sister mostly, but my mom too. She sort of has an idea of the kind of person who listens to classical music and likes to play the part. If you know what I mean.” 

Mia nods. “Yes, I do.”

Wipe my hands on the sides of my jeans. “Hey, did you mean it, what you said at Christmas? About letting Ivy backstage and stuff? No pressure if you can’t, but I did want to ask.”

She hesitates. “I–”

“Oh, Mia is too busy for that,” Astrid says quickly. “Already going through so many long rehearsals, and then bringing a child around? I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

Mia looks at her but says nothing. Heat crawls up my cheeks and into my forehead. “Okay, well, Ivy is not just some random kid. She’s my sister.”

Astrid shrugs. “Yes, but it’s a professional concert, and she’s still a child.”

“She’s a really great person.”

She just sips her drink.

I adjust my chair. “Well, I’m meeting them tomorrow at their hotel. They got one near the concert hall. It’s their first time in Berlin, so… we’ll make a day of it. Ivy’s apparently been listening to the concert programme on YouTube non-stop. She’s like, obsessed with the music.”

Nobody says anything. 

“Glad we’re all excited,” I mutter. 

Mia glances up. “I’m glad she’s coming.”

I’m not sure if she means it, or if she’s just being polite. Regardless, the conversation moves on. Something about a person they both know, or knew, and I turn my sketchbook over in my lap. Stare at the unfinished face. Mine or not mine. The mask sits crookedly on his brow. 

I scribble over it and close the page.

Beginning // Prev // Next

[sirianasims]

Hi lovely people! ❤️

Sorry for the long silence, but I am in the final two weeks of writing my Master's thesis and life has been incredibly busy. But I haven't forgotten you, and I look forward to coming back to my stories and to properly catch up on all of yours!

To tide you over, here's a little peek at the draft for next scene:

There's already a spread of empties between us - two wine bottles, a nearly dead bottle of something stronger, and several glasses. "I'm just saying," I add, "the Llama Man theme slaps." "It does," Lee admits, mock-solemn. "Truly the peak of my artistic career. When I die, I want it played at my funeral. Ideally while someone wearing your suit dances slowly down the aisle." "You're getting cremated." "Then the guy in the suit can scatter my ashes as he goes."

Thank you for your patience, I miss you all! 🥰

[sirianasims]

Hi lovely people! ❤️

Sorry for the long silence, but I am in the final two weeks of writing my Master's thesis and life has been incredibly busy. But I haven't forgotten you, and I look forward to coming back to my stories and to properly catch up on all of yours!

To tide you over, here's a little peek at the draft for next scene:

There's already a spread of empties between us - two wine bottles, a nearly dead bottle of something stronger, and several glasses. "I'm just saying," I add, "the Llama Man theme slaps." "It does," Lee admits, mock-solemn. "Truly the peak of my artistic career. When I die, I want it played at my funeral. Ideally while someone wearing your suit dances slowly down the aisle." "You're getting cremated." "Then the guy in the suit can scatter my ashes as he goes."

Thank you for your patience, I miss you all! 🥰

[sirianasims]

Chapter 14.1 - Dating for Weirdos, Take #2

"I wasn't trying to lead you on!" Alice yelps, her hands held in front of her like she's warding off an attack.

"Of course not," Vlad laughs. "Akira may have an ego the size of Tartosa and a terrible disposition, but he's incredibly attractive. That's why we've been spending time together."

“You’re dating each other?”

“No. We’re in a relationship, assuming you say ‘yes.’ But he will take us on dates as a part of the agreement.”

“The agreement?” Alice makes a choking sound, her head flinching back slightly. “You guys already have an agreement as in, he’s your boyfriend?”

"And your boyfriend."

“Okay, stop!” Akira holds up a hand and shoots Vlad a death glare. “You are terrible at this and not helping. And you,” he looks at Alice, softening as he reaches for her hand. “Breathe. Alright?”

“Yeah...” She blows out a breath. “I’m just confused. You guys aren’t here because you think I’m two-timing you?”

“No,” Akira takes her hand. “And here's why: I am fae. Actually an elf, hence the pointed ears. I’m also into you. And I’m into Vlad. And if you are open to it, I want to be with you both. But this is not an open relationship, yeah? We three would be with each other.”

“T-To see if we like each other?”

"No," he replies, pressing a quick kiss to her hand. "I mean, you can tell yourself what you want to make it less weird. But you two are the fate I chose, so I’m not unsure about it."

"The fate you—"

"Fae are like werewolves in that we believe in Fate, but unlike those fuckers, we choose the love we go after and then Fate sets us on the path we're devoted to."

Her mouth drops open. "I...I think I need to sit down."

Dazed, Alice walks over to the bench and plops down. Vlad kneels in front of her. "I don't know what any of this means."

Akira takes the spot next to her. "It means Fate will weave the threads of space and time to shift our destinies. You are my threads and I am yours, metaphorically speaking. It's hard to know if there's any actual sewing going on."

"Uh...okay." Alice furrows her brow. "But I also don’t think that's how anyone normally gets into a relationship. They don't say things like fate and devotion and...sewing."

“Alright, what words do they use?”

“It's more like, ‘Hey, you seem cool. Do you want to hang out casually and see where this goes?’”

Hang out casually?

See where this goes?

Mortals were so fucking basic. 

“Yeah, no,” Akira snorts. “I am not a casual dude. I don’t say casual things. If I feel casual about something, what the fuck am I making an effort for?”

“It’s not about effort,” Alice argues as she staggers out of her seat. “What if you get to know me and you don’t like me, but you’ve already made this commitment?”

Vladislaus (gods help if that man ever did a thing Akira said) interrupts. “I tried that argument. Akira either loves something or feels nothing at all. Sort of like how I love you because I don’t hate you.”

"Excuse me?" Alice blinks, dumbfounded.

"That's not the only reason, obviously. I think you're beautiful and I like the way your mind works. You frequently plan date activities that make me feel like I'm in some sort of hostage situation. And I'm afraid to displease you. It's exquisite."

Akira turns to Vlad and gives him a withering look. “Were you not here five fucking minutes ago when I said ‘shut up, you are not helping’?”

“I was here five minutes ago when you were floundering trying to pitch Alice on your potential.” He picks a piece of invisible lint off his shirt. “Also, you didn’t say ‘shut up,’”

“And you didn’t worry about me not liking you. You had a full-scale hissy fit because I wouldn’t take an arrow to the back.”

“Watcher forbid I ask for a sign of devotion,” he growls. “I offered to kill a dragon for you.”

“Do not change the subject,” Akira snaps. Just thinking about Vlad fighting a dragon made him antsy. “On what planet am I sending the man I want to date to fight a creature that just kicked my ass?”

“On a planet where you want actual vengeance instead of cowering under the shadow of darkness like a wounded animal. Tell me, Akira, are you refusing to heal those bruises to irritate me or to make a point?”

Fuckin’ Vladislaus would notice. “Oh, so what? I’m not so pretty to look at? You don’t like bruises, now? Scars are overrated?”

“Have I wounded your vanity too?” Vlad mocks. “Why, Akira Kibo, I am shocked that—”

“HEY!" Alice yells, "Maybe you two can take a break from your marital spat to answer my questions because everything you are saying sounds crazy and I am starting to freak out!”

Their attention snaps to Alice. Breathing heavily, she clenches her fists and Akira watches, with some trepidation, as she swallows down the rest of her outburst. “Please don’t…I…I didn’t mean to yell, I just…” she gestures limply at both of them. 

Akira opens his mouth and then closes it again, the blood pounding in his ears as he realizes the problem.

Alice is afraid to get angry.

Akira stands there, frozen in shock, but thankfully Vlad slinks over, curving himself around Alice until her shaking stops.

“Do you want a snack? You seem off-kilter.”

“A snack?” she repeats, sounding bewildered.

“Yes.” He rests his forehead on hers, tone turning conspiratorial. “And then we can give Akira a hard time and you can see how it feels to have two boyfriends who are also boyfriends and whether you find it beneficial.”

“Like a test?” her gaze shifts to Akira as if asking him to confirm. 

The actual answer is hell no, but he can’t tell her that. “If you don’t enjoy being with us at the end of this date, then we’ll figure something else out,” he promises, as he strolls over to them.

"See?" Vlad says, kissing her cheek. “Now, what kind of snack do you want?”

“Pancakes from Annie Jo’s, but the ones with buttermilk syrup, not chocolate chips and definitely not the short stack, because the pancake to syrup ratio is always too low.” 

The specificity of her demands makes Akira chuckle. “Alright, you got it.”

They walk down the block to the diner. Alice immediately moves to peer in the windows, looking for any sign that the place will open early and checking her phone.

Vlad brushes his hand against Akira’s. “I know you don’t think so, but this went well. If we went slower or opted for someplace less public, her spiral would have been worse.”

“So, this was all your plan? You picking fights for fun?”

“Is that what concerns you?”

“No,” Akira grunts. He expected nothing less from a creature who grew more fae-like by the minute. “Who scared her?”

“A future ghost.”

Akira swivels around to stare at him. Gone is the lazy, playful, bratty Vladislaus and in its place is something vicious and sharp-eyed. He lifts a shoulder, and in an instant, playful Vlad is back again. “I haven’t discovered who yet. I only know what will happen to them once I find them. Do you like pancakes?”

A parry and a feint. Akira narrows his eyes. “Curious about my eating habits?”

“Yes.” Cocking a brow, Vlad steps closer. “Extremely. What do you eat, Akira? And if I’m very good, can I watch?” 

Gods, this man would be the death of him. Whatever Vlad was doing was almost certainly a trick, but fuck if Akira’s dick cares that he’s being hustled. “I have a hard time picturing you behaving.”

Vlad’s answering grin is downright wicked. He runs his thumb along Akira’s jaw. “I read somewhere that elves were incredibly vain creatures. I don’t like these bruises because they aren’t mine. But rest assured, Akira Kibo, you are still very pretty. Your ears especially.”

All of a sudden, Alice whips around. “Wait, ears? You have pointy ears. YOU’RE AN ELF? ELVES ARE REAL?!?!?!?!”

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[sirianasims]

Chapter 14.0 - Dating for Weirdos, Take #2

Akira doesn’t know why he ever thought this was the right way to approach Alice. Whatever Vladislaus was, he was enough like Akira that they were speaking the same language. But Alice was a sim and to her, this situation was clearly nuts. 

She freezes when sees them standing outside the gym. Vlad, the lunatic, acts completely nonplussed spreading his arms in greeting and joyfully calling out, “Hello Magpie.”

“Her pet name is Magpie?” Akira whisper-yells.

“Yes, she likes to hoard shiny things. She’s extremely demanding, and chatters constantly.”

“Like a ghost?”

“No, like a magpie.” Vlad frowns, peering at Akira like he’s trying to figure out a puzzle. “I thought elves were smart and loved nature and yet you stand before me, not even sure how birds work.”

“Alright, fuck off. I know how birds work.” Before Akira can defend himself further, Alice interrupts, looking panicked. 

“You two know each other?” 

"In a manner of speaking," Vlad replies, "Actually, we've been talking."

"Only talking," Akira adds, "And play-fighting."

"Real fighting," Vlad corrects, "But with very low stakes."

"What the fuck? Those stakes were not low." Akira shoots him a dirty look before turning his attention back to Alice. "Don't listen to him. The stakes were high, and the fighting was real, but I did not kiss him."

"What?"

"See?" Vlad huffs. "You're being confusing. The point is, Magpie, something extremely important has come up and now we need to talk."

Alice's eyes look like they are going to bulge out of her head. "T-talk? About what? Are you...are you breaking up with me?"

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(Part 1 of 5)

[sirianasims]

Chapter 13.3 - Payback's A Dragon

Akira doesn't know why he showed up at Cora's place. Their connection was like a scab he couldn't stop picking at.

"I didn’t want to talk about what the witches did," she fumes as soon as he walks through the door.

“Yeah, well, I didn’t want to have sex with you for nothing, so I guess we’re both shit out of luck.”

"Is that what this is about for you?" her voice climbs up an octave. "Sex?"

"No!" Akira narrows his eyes to a squint. "Sex is the thing I don't want to do with you. This is about how you lied to me. And also, how you apologized when I told you not to."

“What kind of psycho makes you dance until you twist your ankle just because you're nice enough to say you’re sorry?”

“Me!” Akira shouts, “How many times do I have to say it’s literally what I do?”

"Oh, come off it," she sneers. "Look me in the eye and tell me it’s not a choice."

"Look me in the eye and tell me you didn't know what happens when you apologize."

“You almost broke my ankle!”

“That dragon busted my fuckin' ribs!”

“You’re immortal, you asshole! Your ribs will heal!”

They eye each other angrily, panting after screaming so loudly. "Whatever," Akira grumbles as he shoves past her. He grabs a seat at the kitchen table and after a beat, Cora follows.

"So?" She slides into the chair across from him and places her palms flat on the table. "A truth for a truth?"

He forgot he taught her this custom. Early on, he was so guarded, but somewhere between sharing barley bales and complaining about their assignments from Jacques, he slipped.

"Technically, it is a choice," Akira admits. "But the only time a fae wouldn’t take the power offered to them is if it was someone they cared for, like family, or life partners, that kind of shit."

“And I don’t qualify.” 

"It’s not about you specifically," he says quickly, and then winces. Gods knew why he was trying to be nice. Hadn't he learned his lesson? "What I mean is, I don't have a large circle of creatures I trust. Most elves don't. We're too vulnerable. Every word is a potential hook."

“I know," Cora blows out a breath, sending the hair around her face fluttering. "I've actually never seen you completely relaxed. Not even after sex. And I knew what apologizing would do. I guess I was hoping you’d prove me wrong by treating me with kid gloves.”

Akira's mind immediately flashes to Alice and Vlad. Even completely drained, he can't imagine feeding from them. And he would certainly never scramble their minds or dig around in their heads.

“How long did you know you weren’t in love with me?”

He owes her honesty. "Always."

Cora is quiet at first. Then she lurches up from the table. “I didn’t want to tell you about the witches because I didn’t want you to see how pathetic I was.”

"You weren’t pathetic."

"Spare me."

Surprisingly, that is exactly what he is trying to do. "I'm not bullshitting you. Those tests were brutal."

“You thrive off brutality,” Cora argues.

“Yeah, but I am not a sim.”

“Well, I don’t want to be a sim either!” She swipes at her eyes before balling her hands into fists. "You weren’t the only reason I moved to Ravenwood. I thought maybe being closer to ley lines or magic would break something open in me. Then I could run home with powers and my mother would know she was wrong, and she'd want me."

Her loneliness resonates, and for a minute, Akira hates how he used it against her. "Your mother is a bitch and you don't need her. You can make a new family."

"Please," she scoffs. "We aren't fucking anymore. You don't have to pretend to think what she did was horrible. You weren't the first one to reject me because I wasn't enough, and you won't be the last."

"I should be. If you learn from this." As soon as the words leave his mouth, he knows it's the wrong thing to say. Cora turns away, her shoulders rigid. Akira scrambles out of his chair to follow her. "Cora, please—"

"Please what?" she bites out, her voice raw. "Learn? Learn what? Spellcasters who don’t show an affinity are put through increasing levels of stress to force their magic. But I didn’t have magic hiding. I didn’t have magic at all. Every test kicked my ass. I could have died and all I could think was that I was a failure."

“Don't say that about yourself,” Akira puts his hand on her shoulder. The only thing Cora lacked was magic in a way that spellcasters understood. "Seriously. Fuck me and anyone else who makes you feel like that."

“I don’t want a pep talk from you. My mom discarded me, yeah, but at least she didn't use me.”

The tips of his ears grow hot. If she only understood how desperate he was. "I was worried about my partners, so I acted without..." He can't say he acted without thinking because he did think, he just didn't care. "It was shitty, alright? I know that. But The Order of Enchantment is involved and you have to know something."

"Why would I know about them?" she scowls and instantly, Akira knows it's a lie.

"Cora."

"Are you insane?" She pulls back to glare at him. "Holy fucking Watcher, you are self-absorbed. Are you not hearing me? We. Are. Not. Friends. I’m not gonna sit here and help you solve your personal issues. Those days are done."

On that, they agreed. Akira is already more than halfway to the door when she hisses she wants him to get out.

"The fae can't lie, but they can definitely make you feel like shit. I hope your life partners or fated mates or whatever you call them never have to learn that."

Akira doesn't bother with an answer. He hustles down the creaking steps, ignoring the pain that reverberates through his body with every move.

Cora reprimanding him for lying was pretty rich. And she was wrong, anyway. The fae couldn't lie, which wasn't the same as saying they didn't lie.

Under different circumstances, Akira would have let this go. Maybe she lied about The Order of Enchantment out of vanity rather than malice. But he had Vlad and Alice to take care of, and being so low on magic, he couldn't afford to let any secret fester.

The trip to his garden was long since he didn't waste even an ounce of glamour to teleport himself. The trip back was even worse, sitting on a on fucking train surrounded by all that iron.

It was worth it though, because he doesn't need magic to monitor Cora.

Sims knew so little about plants. 

About their strength.

Their power.

Their connections.

A message could pass from root to root as effortlessly as sending a text. 

Plants could watch and report, communicate, protect, even.

They were beautiful. And useful as hell. 

Yes, Akira was a liar. But Cora couldn’t imagine the depth of his devotion to his fate. The things he would do to keep them safe.

He would get what he needed. Burn the world if he had to, her included.

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(Part 4 of 4)

[sirianasims]

Chapter 13.2 - Payback's A Dragon

Akira drags himself through the park and leans against a streetlamp, trying to get his bearings straight. He’s almost home. If he could scrape some magic together, he could simply teleport, but the fight scraped that barrel mostly dry.

Fuckin’ ambush. Cora was obviously more than pissed. She screwed him on purpose, sending him to take on a godsdamned dragon.

Literally, what the fuck?

The warmth from the lamp gives him a little relief. Gods, what he wouldn’t do for a fire. The fae were built for spring and summer—the nights when the breeze was warm, the days that left you sun-kissed. Fall was a headache. Winter was hell. How can anyone scrape together magic when they’re fuckin’ freezing?

He gets as far as the fountain before he slides to the ground, limbs loose. Sleep is not just nipping at his heels; it's enveloping his whole body. 

Minutes pass…hours? A foot nudges his bruised thigh. His eyes flash open to find Vladislaus standing over him. 

“You can’t possibly think sleeping out here is appropriate.” He tilts his head, gaze assessing. “What happened to you?” 

“I fought a dragon.”

“They exist?” Surprise flits across his face before he shakes his head as if to clear it. “Nevermind, of course they do. You exist. Did you win?”

Akira tries to snort, but it comes out as a wheeze. One of his lungs must be punctured. “Do I look like I won?”

Vlad shrugs. “You look like someone who took on a fight you were obviously ill-equipped for. I imagine dragons have a very scorched earth approach to physical altercations.”

“It was an ambush,” he feels inclined to point out. “And dragons are universally assholes.”

Vlad kneels and pokes at a sore spot on Akira’s chest. “And which dragon did this to you?” he asks softly.

Warmth starts at the base of his spine and spreads upward. “Sweet of you to worry,” Akira mumbles with a smile.

Sleep takes over again. Peace lasts a few minutes before Vlad—the fuckin’ psycho—hauls him up and over his shoulder. “Which of these neoclassical monstrosities is your house?” 

Ribs protesting, Akira points. And to his credit, Vlad takes him home. 

And chastises him about not locking his door.

And complains about the light that makes the buzzing sound that everyone acts like they can’t hear, but Akira can and it pisses him off. 

By the time Vlad gets to JJ’s sneakers in the hall, he is beside himself.

“It’s a tripping hazard,” he grumbles as he drops Akira onto his bed. 

“You coulda broke my fuckin’ ribs carrying me like that, and you’re concerned about a fall?”

Vlad frowns. “Your ribs aren’t broken. I can hear them mending.”

That was alarming. "What are you?" Akira rasps.

"Annoyed. I thought tonight was going to be sexier than this. I brought a sword."

Akira isn't sure if he laughs. It takes the tail-end of his magic to heal the worst of his internal injuries and then he's out cold again.

Time slips, and Vlad returns. He sets a glass of water on the bedside table, along with some aspirin. “The state of your medicine cabinet is atrocious, and you need to go food shopping.”

“I thought you was helping me,” Akira grunts as he sits up, “Not insulting my adulting.”

“I am being as helpful as I can stand to be at the moment. Now, does the dragon have a name I can pronounce, or is it better to write it down?”

It didn’t matter what Vlad was, Akira’s heart would not abide sending him into danger even if most times, Vlad probably was the danger. “I am not sending you after a dragon.” 

“Fine,” he doesn’t miss a beat, “Then who set you up?”

“No one you need to be concerned with.” Anticipating Vlad's next question, Akira reaches for something to make him sound like less of a cold-hearted bastard than he actually is. “I was a dick to them and they didn’t deserve it and yeah, I know, I should make amends.”

“Also, you can’t be hanging around here,” Akira tacks on. They haven’t discussed the fact that he works for Jacques, but Vlad isn’t stupid. 

He makes a disgusted sound and rolls his eyes. “I would love for someone to stop me. Are you a dick to everyone all the time or was this a one-off? I want Alice to feel safe with you. It’s important to her.”

Obviously. Hence Akira’s attempts to hide his most egregious failings, like the fact that the kind consideration of others was beyond his capabilities. “Is it important to you?”

Vlad looks perplexed. Then he laughs. “Why would it matter to me? You can’t hurt me. Look at you, you're in shambles."

"Okay, it's actually not that funny," Akira mutters over his howling laughter.

"Should I worry about you making me feel safe?" he cackles. “Hilarious.”

“Alright tough guy, I'm talking about emotional safety but whatever,” Akira snorts. “And to answer your question, I am generally a dick to everyone, always. But Alice is safe and so are you.” 

Vlad waits a beat and then heads for the door. “I don’t believe you. Goodnight.”

He’s leaving? Akira can’t quite haul himself out of bed. “Wait!” he cries. 

Vlad halts. “Yes?”

“I don’t give a shit about making amends, alright? I work with this sim and they are good at getting information and they might still be useful to me. But that doesn’t mean I would treat you or Alice like shit, okay? It’s just—”

“You care for who you care for.” Vlad finishes. He finally turns around, and there’s something hungry in his gaze that makes Akira feel like flashing his own teeth. “Now you’re making sense. If Alice agrees, then we can date.”

“If Alice agrees, we are in a relationship,” Akira corrects.

“So you won’t take us on dates?” 

“Brat. Of course, I'm taking you on dates. We’ll do whatever you two want.”

He nods. “Good. Alice and I do yoga on Saturday mornings. The class starts at 8:30 am. Apparently, you can’t bring weapons, so I suggest leaving those at home.”

Akira waits for the laughter but none comes, which tells him Vlad is deadly serious. And he can’t help but wonder what the hell kind of creature he is to think that “no weapons at yoga” was a strange rule. 

“I thought you were gonna kill me.”

Vlad smiles like the cat that got the cream. “That too.”

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(Part 3 of 4)

[sirianasims]

Oh no, a last exception!?

[sirianasims]

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Transcript below the cut:

Danny: Ew, what’s that smell? Joseph: Seems Daisy got into the fertilizer last night.

Joseph: I got a mess to clean up. You get the chickens taken care of, and I’ll be out soon. Danny: Okay. Joseph: And give Daisy a good brushin’ after she dries. Danny: I will.

…

[Rita: Is tomorrow okay? I know it’s sooner than we planned, but I just don’t have the space she needs here.]

Joseph: Oh yeah, tomorrow’s fine. You sure it’s okay? Luis doesn’t want to take her, keep her in the family?

[Rita: No. let’s be honest, he’s never been good with horses, and I don’t want to feel like I have to keep going back over there all the time to check on her. I know you two will give her a good home, and that’s most important to us.]

Joseph: We’ll do our best. Danny will be thrilled. I kept telling him he had to wait til he’s ten to get a horse, and now he’s been after me since his birthday.

[Rita: (laughs) Kids never let you forget.]

Joseph: Apparently not.

Danny: Papa! They’re here! Joseph: Alright. Make sure you got eyes on Daisy. A big dog like that will scare Aspen if she goes chargin’ over there. Danny: I’ll watch her.

Joseph: I gotta go. What time should we plan on meeting you? [Rita: One o’clock okay?] Joseph: Sounds great. We’ll see you tomorrow. [Rita: Thanks again. Bye Joe]

Joseph: [quietly] Bye Rita… Danny: Papa! Joseph: Yeah! Comin’!

Danny: Hey Annie, you like dogs, right? Aspen: Uh-huh. I have a little puppy. His name is Pepper. Danny: Well, I have a big dog named Daisy. I bet she’s bigger than you! Aspen: [gasps] Danny: She’s nice, though. Do you wanna meet her? Aspen: Yes yes!

Joseph: You must be Dawn. Welcome. Dawn: It’s great to finally meet you. Thank you so much for having us. Joseph: Any time.

Joseph: Phoenix. I see you wore better shoes. Phoenix: [laughs] After nearly ruining my favorite pair last time, yeah. Joseph: Well, are you going to introduce me to my granddaughter? Phoenix: Annie? Do you want to say hi to your grandpa Joe? Aspen: No. Phoenix: [shrugs] She says no. Joseph: [chuckles] Like father like daughter.

[sirianasims]

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Transcript below the cut:

Aspen: NOOOOOO!!!!

Aspen: I want dadddyyyyyyy!!!! Dawn: Oh, don’t worry, dad’s going to have a talk with you when he gets out of the shower.

[front door opens and closes] Atlas: Hello? Aspen: TONTON!!

Atlas: What is going on, kiddo? Aspen: Mommy’s being mean.

Atlas: What’s wrong? Aspen: [sniffling] I don’t want to leave Pepper.

Dawn: A little help, please? She did it again. Phoenix: [in his most impressive dad-voice] Aspen Leanne! Atlas: Uh-oh Aspen: [screeching] Down down!

Aspen: Go away! Phoenix: Uh-uh. Stop right there.

Phoenix: What did we talk about? Aspen: I don’t know. Phoenix: Annie. Aspen: No biting. Phoenix: And what did you do? Aspen: [sniffles] B-but Pepper will be scared.

Phoenix: I know you want Pepper to come with us, but he’s too little. He could get lost or hurt, so he has to stay behind, but Atlas and Asher are going to make sure he’s taken care of while we’re gone, okay? Aspen: [nods] Phoenix: It’ll be like a big sleepover with Pixel and Pluto. He’ll have lots of fun. Aspen: Promise? Phoenix: Promise.

Phoenix: What you did wasn’t very nice, was it? Aspen: [shakes head guiltily] Phoenix: Can you tell Mom you’re sorry?

Aspen: Sorry mommy. Dawn: Thanks love. Aspen: Can I have a snack? Dawn: Sure. Should we make a sandwich? Aspen: Okay.

Phoenix: Sorry about that. Atlas: Eventful day? Phoenix: You have no idea. Anyway, um, I put Pepper’s collar and favorite toys in a bag by the door. Do you need me to pack up some food for him? Asher: Nah, we have plenty at the house. Phoenix: Perfect. Thanks again for taking him this week.

Atlas: No problem. But you should know, we won’t actually be there. Phoenix: Where will you be? Atlas: We’re going to look at a few houses this week. Asher: Yeah, we realized we only have a couple months to get a place and get fully moved in before the twins are born.

Phoenix: So, you’re bringing home a third puppy and then bailing? Asher: [laughs] Pretty much. It’s fine though.   Atlas: Spencer is charging us five simoleons per puppy per day, so she’s more than happy to add an extra one to her routine. Phoenix: Good for her.

Aspen: Bye Pepper. Be a good boy for Tonton. No biting.