"La Mer?" The lady, Doctor who-really-cares, stares at Acheron with intense curiosity. "Now that's a name I haven't heard in a long time."
Get me out of here, some voice inside Acheron screams. Cheesy Star Wars references are more than anyone should have to endure.
The body he's in barely flinches, though.
"Cayenne La Mer was the best healer this sanctuary has ever seen," she continues. "She wanted to teach her magic to others, but none were capable. We determined it was a magic unique to beings of... how do I put this... light magic. Our mages continue to disagree about how such beings exist."
Acheron tilts his head. "I'd imagine it's genetics. Like all magic."
"Yes but... the primordial species connecting our world with light magic have been gone for a long time."
"Seems they found a way to keep their influence around regardless." It's all Acheron can do to keep from rolling his eyes. "Do you know where I can find Cayenne?"
"Her brother was captured by... you know. Them." Her face twists angrily at the thought of the supernaturals who suppress their own. Some are traitors, but many are victims... of course it's enraging to think about.
"Uh huh." Acheron's face does not change.
"She left the Falls after that. She said she was a danger to us. She and her brother had a... metaphysical connection. She said if the fairies figured it out, none of our wards would save us."
"Aha?"
"So I can't really... help you."
That can't be true. This has always been part of the sequence. He must be here for a reason.
"Sequence," he wakes up with this strange word on his lips. It's mental shorthand a much older person uses to parse their life. It's a word he's never encountered before.
"Ruza?"
"Uh huh?"
"Will you play outside with me?"
"I can't, Acheron... I'm studying."
Acheron pokes slowly at his own homework, not interested in it at all. He's a bit younger than Fairuza, and his assignments are more simplistic. They're also tremendously boring; he feels like he's seen these same questions a hundred thousand times, somehow.
"Ruza?"
"What?"
"What does... sequence... mean?"
Fairuza's face scrunches up in a frown as she overthinks the question. "I 'unno. I'm no good at maths. Ask Orazia."
Acheron looks down at the math homework he's scribbling on. "It's not a homework question. I just heard it somewhere. Sequence. What does it mean?"
"Oh. Um, it means something happens after something else. Like a whole bunch of things. They all go in order."
"I see," Acheron squeaks.
He thinks over her words for a moment, then chuckles. "I think I get why he was so annoyed."
"Who?" Fairuza questions.
"Nobody. Me? I don't know. Doesn't matter."
"You're weird, Acheron."
"Yeah, well, you're failing your test tomorrow. You might as well stop studying and come play outside."
"I'm not failing my test."
"You are," he says, with the innocence of absolute certainty.
She has no comeback. She just glares at him, and he feels bad.
"I can tell you every test question, and every answer, right now." Acheron's pleas to get out of school don't get him anywhere. His mother scoffs at his every hint of knowing things before he's supposed to. Hints are just not good enough. He will have to tell her.
But he won't do that, because every time he tries that in the dreams, bad things happen to her.
He hasn't figured out how those dots connect, exactly, but he has the unsettling suspicion he will hate his older self when he does. That can't be healthy.
Orazia's budding mage identity is coming along pretty well, though.
Here she is with her latest crafted potion. Izalee will be so proud.
Carlos still tries to supervise. Though he is not sure what's going on.
Milo helps his sister in law with her workout routine. He fears she's going to get herself in trouble, with that PI career. What if some guy she's investigating for infidelity notices he's under surveillance and tries to hurt her? It would make Milo feel better if he personally taught her how to kick some ass.
Dysen tries to destroy his mother's office. No one is sure how he got in here.
Instead of disciplining the brat, Lela appears to be enabling future destruction.
Werewolf child, werewolf doll.
"It's hard enough to sleep without YOU, ya know." Acheron is pretty sure Dysen understands him. Especially when the toddler looks away and makes a dismissive hand gesture.
Sharing a room totally stinks.
"Such beautiful music," Ceth praises. "Carlos says it should wait for morning, but I cannot stifle such artistry."
"I had a bad dream," Acheron mumbles.
"Oh, honey," his mother is instantly sympathetic.
"I kissed a lady. It was gross."
Despite Acheron's weirdness, his relationship bars with Milo's two daughters are full green. So the author feels the need to point out that they do, in fact, all like each other.
Dysen, though, has always thought Acheron smelled suspicious.
Fairuza fails her test.
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Etc.: Hey, still alive here! Sims 3 has been taking a back seat to my other projects and responsibilities, but I've been squeezing in as much gameplay as possible so I can wrap up what's happenin' in this generation and move on to the next one. I'm excited! And busy!
