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luverofralts · 5 months

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Arkhelios Adventures

Theo stared at unfamiliar walls of the Crystal Cove coven's headquarters with a sense of unease. This was where he was meeting his lawyer, Aunt Lucy, in order to officially be interviewed by the Maricourt family. He tried not to be intimidated, after all, the building was much smaller than the academy he attended in Pleasantview and Adam really seemed to love this coven. Surely they couldn't be bad if Adam trusted them. The ring on Theo's hand had been grown in this place. Things were going to work out, he just knew it.

"He's late. Do you think something happened? Did he decide not to show up because he hates my family? Did his family forbid him from coming?"

"Geez Adam. You're going to have a stroke at this point. Nothing is going to go wrong." Medora rolled her eyes at her friend, who was still wringing his hands and watching the door anxiously. "Your meeting was hosted here entirely because your parents have nothing to do with this coven, which means they have to listen to the leaders here. My uncle will make sure that happens, don't worry. He's super chill. Not even your mom can get under his skin."

Medora paused, considering her words. It was true that her Uncle Josh was oblivious to the influence of Edana Darktide, but it had come at a cost. When they were younger, Josh was bullied by Edana for his inability to cast spells. When the King of Strangetown forced the coven to admit him to their school, Edana and her brother Adam were relentless with their teasing. Now that Josh was older and had worked with a tutor to overcome his learning disability, he was more than capable of standing up to his former bully. Edana had changed though since the collapse of the Strangetown coven, and she seemed to hold a grudging respect for Josh, or at least, that was how it looked to Medora. Edana wouldn't push Josh to do what she wanted, and he was highly motivated to ensure that she kept to the established rules. Theo would get the fair interview he deserved.

"Aunt Lucy, did you really have to wear that crown? It's embarrassing."

Theo cringed beside his aunt while scanning the hallway for Adam. Having his aunt escort him to the interview was a no brainer, especially when it meant that his parents couldn't also come. Roman hadn't left his bedroom by the time that Theo had to leave and Abe had guarded their bedroom door cautiously while hugging his son goodbye. Theo was pretty sure that if something went wrong at this meeting, his father would probably have a breakdown, hopefully without the affair like last time. Theo felt bad about his part in his father's crisis, but it wasn't all his fault. His dad needed counseling or pills or something to keep from exploding with fear and anger every time Theo opened his mouth and that was out of Theo's hands.

"I'm the consort of the Demon Sovereign," Lucy replied. "I'll wear what I want to remind these witches of their place in the grand order of things. If they think they can push my godson around, they have another thing coming to them. You don't push a Helios around without backlash. I'll burn this coven to the ground if need be."

"You mean your wife will," Theo sighed. "You don't have any special powers, Aunt Lucy, and these people are all crazy powerful."

"Pff, all I need is a lighter and some imagination," Lucy scoffed.

Theo didn't like the gleam in her eyes as she spoke, but he had no choice but to ignore it. Aunt Lucy was somehow considered to be a responsible adult who could argue on his behalf. With a mom like her, no wonder Noelle was the way she was.

"Hey, gorgeous. Has it started yet?"

Adam gawked as a blonde teen came up to Medora and kissed her, playing with her hair affectionately.

"Josh, you're here! No, Theo's not even here yet. He's probably planning to be late on purpose to set the tone or whatever he wrongly thinks will help him."

"Who's this?" Adam asked, staring at the boy beside Medora. "When did this happen?"

Medora shrugged, beaming happily at Josh.

"This is my boyfriend, Josh. We've been going out for just over a month," Medora replied. "We met here when I had to wait for my uncle to finish up stuff for work. His dad is also on the council."

"My dad and her uncle used to date when they were our age," Josh explained. "Her uncle is still my godfather and I'm named after him."

"That seems like a really weird thing to do with your ex," Adam said, looking confused. "If Theo and I ever break up, I'm not going to name my kid after him."

Medora shrugged.

"They don't really think about things like normal people do," she sighed. "Some times I feel like the adult in my family."

"Should I be worried that he's the one hosting this interview?" Adam asked nervously. "My parents can be a bit much."

Medora laughed.

"No, trust me, no one messes with my uncle. He's married to the King of Strangetown's nephew and lives in his castle. He's been on the council here since he graduated college." She looked around to check if they were still alone in the hall. "And his husband works for the life deity. You should have seen the last time someone was mean to him. It was before I was born, but King Charley says it was like watching a horror movie. No one messes with my uncles."

"Okay, we're going to have a nice, ordered discussion about two witch apprentices, not a battle over whose kid did what. No laws were broken here. This is just a meeting between Maricourt family members."

Josh kept his tone light, but his face remained serious. Everyone had watched Ewan and Edana's marriage implode years ago and saw what they were capable of when they were backed into a corner. They were the last two magic users Josh wanted to go up against if he could help it. It wasn't because they were powerful, which they certainly were, but because of how insufferable both of them were. His brother in law was married to Edana and Josh didn't know how Ewan found the strength to deal with her. She did occasional work for the Strangetown monarchy aside from her usual roles, and every time she walked into the castle, Josh could feel a migraine starting. Everything had to be her way. Everything he knew was wrong. Every time she laughed, memories flashed in his mind of her mocking him for being poor, for being unable to produce the basic spells for admittance to the coven, for thinking that he had what it took to be her equal. For her current Ewan's sake, Josh was polite and civil towards her, but the scars she'd left as a teenager still remained. The things he'd see her brother do against nature, against decency were appalling and still she had the gall to name her son after him.

"This meeting is about my son and the demonspawn that's obsessed with him," Edana snapped, glaring at her ex-husband. "Just because Master Maricourt can't defend our son, doesn't mean that I won't. Can you imagine one of the Great Demons attaching themselves to my child? To both the Darktides and Maricourts? It's unthinkable."

"Who would ever want to attach themselves willingly to you and your family?" Ewan replied, giving his ex a tired look. "If anyone does, I'm more than willing to set them straight. Besides, the Darktides are nothing more than the descendants of pirates and thieves."

"And the Maricourts are all stuffy, self-righteous pricks with god complexes," Edana snapped back.

"Guys, guys. You guys are infamous for getting along with each other even after the divorce. Your kids need you to work together now. Don't let anxiety divide you now," Josh interrupted before more insults could be hurled. "This isn't the end of the world. A little blood magic and a teenage love affair is nothing in the grand scheme of things. Lots of us have done way stupider things at their age."

Josh gestured at the tattoo on his neck and Victor playfully did the same beside him.

"Yeah, they don't have matching neck tattoos with their high school boyfriend," Victor laughed. "Talk about regret. If my wife can get over that while I still work with that ex, the two of you can tolerate a teenage demon who probably won't even be dating your son in two years."

"Okay, so your dark form looks good. Try to stay like that the entire meeting; we're going to use demonic law to our advantage. So look as demonic as you can. And straighten your uniform, you need to look as formal as you can. Whatever I say, you agree to. If I look at you, nod or say yes. Understood?"

Theo nodded, trying to remember everything his aunt was demanding of him.

"And if this goes wrong, we're not telling Roman until I can fix it," Lucy continued. "Your dad may need to call a hospital if this goes sideways; Roman's been unusually worried lately. There's no way I'm getting blamed if he has complete aspiration failure."

"Do you really think he's that bad?" Theo asked, suddenly wondering if his actions had impacted his father's mental health. It wasn't all his fault, surely, but he could see how coven meetings and blood magic consequences might add to his father's stress levels. His dad still needed to get off Theo's back about a lot of things, but if even Aunt Lucy was concerned, maybe Theo should reevaluate some of his crueler words.

"I mean, the man's a mess in general," Lucy replied with an unconcerned shrug. "Affairs, daddy issues, mommy issues, the whole almost dying because of people he trusted, it all adds up. I wouldn't worry too much about him...just worry a little bit. It's what I do. If I spent my life worrying about your idiot parents or what Noelle's teachers say, I'd be miserable."

Theo frowned. His Aunt Lucy was always the same, no matter how old she got or how many people cared about her. It probably wasn't healthy to emulate any of her choices, even if she swore they worked wonders.

"Do you think Adam's going to have to break up with me?" Theo asked, directing the conversation back to his worries and not on Lucy's priorities. "His parents don't seem to like mine."

Lucy shrugged.

"Honestly kid, I'd worry more about them wanting you two to get married. These old families don't appreciate outsiders near their power. If they can't get rid of you, they add you to the family and control your every move for the rest of your life."

The door to the council room swung open before Theo could react to his aunt's theory. Marriage? Not likely with Adam's family. Did that mean that Theo had to be prepared for an effort to make him disappear? His own father had had to deal with a parent who wanted him removed lethally from her life; would Adam face the same problem?

Theo tried not to gulp as he walked towards the chamber, visions of angry Maricourts set on murder flashing through his head.

"Apprentice Bellamy, greetings."

Theo sat down on the chair that had clearly been provided for him and tried not to look scared.

"Lucy Helios-Diablo, thank you for coming."

Lucy cleared her throat obnoxiously before letting the witches carry on with the proceedings.

"It's Demonic Consort Lucy Helios-Diablo Esquire," she corrected, staring intently at the witches who had the misfortune of being near her. "You should probably introduce yourselves to the room. I haven't had to take time out of my busy life to learn your names, and I know my client hasn't either. None of you are worth the effort."

Lucy was lying, but she was gambling on her reputation proceeding her with this group. She'd spent hours running backgrounds and looking for weak points in everyone she could logically assume would be at the meeting. She'd made Theo flashcards to practice greeting each witch and how to look as politely disdainful as he could without being offensive. This was a witch meeting, but that didn't mean that Lucy intended to play by witch rules.

"Excuse me? You come into our coven and speak to us like a petulant child? This is the way that you approach us when your nephew-"

"Edana, calm down. There's nothing wrong with introducing ourselves to our guests. My name is Master Joshua Toyonaga, this is Master Victor Toyonaga, and I think that you've met Master Edana Darktide-Traver and Master Ewan Maricourt." The blonde man smiled kindly at Theo, but Lucy kicked her nephew's foot to remind him to be on his guard before he fell for warlock tricks.

"God, Mom, can't you be normal for once in your life? Theo hasn't even said anything and you're treating him like a criminal."

"Anything interesting yet?"

Josh stood back while his girlfriend eavesdropped as best as she could. The meeting was private, but the teens of dying of curiosity as they waited.

"I think Adam's mom is going to murder him," she whispered. "He called her a name and now all I can hear is her shouting."

"Adam stood up to his mother? Really? He must like that Theo guy then. I've never seen him even raise his voice to her."

Jealousy irrationally flared inside Medora, despite her having moved on from her embarrassing crush on Theo. She had a better boyfriend now and Theo was bringing out new sides of Adam that she never thought she'd see. She was better off as Theo's friend and nothing else.

"They're all yelling again," she noted. "For a room full of mature, magical masters, they sure do sound like children. We may need to summon other council members to break up fights at this point."

"Nah, my dad will figure it out," Josh replied with confidence. "He took a training seminar in Strangetown last year, so he knows how those witches think. Master Ewan would die before his colleagues had to be summoned to reign in one of his meetings, so we have that to our advantage too."

"Apprentice Bellamy, do you have hostile intentions toward the Maricourt family?" Victor asked quickly, before the shouting could resume. Edana and Ewan were glaring daggers beside him, but Victor ignored them.

Theo looked expectantly at his aunt, and Lucy nodded, giving her permission to answer the question.

"No," he stated. His aunt had forbidden him to clarify or add to his answers. Just "yes" and "no" and "I decline to answer the question".

"And was your blood magic spell with Apprentice Darktide malicious in nature?"

Theo stared once more at Lucy and then shook his head.

"No. It was in my school curriculum and my academic sponsor, the Sovereign of All Demons, encourages me to use my gifts to benefit others."

Lucy gave him a quick nod of approval and Theo released the breath he'd been holding. His aunt wasn't going to murder him; he'd remembered the answer she wanted.

"To do blood magic to help a friend is admirable," Josh replied, looking kindly at the teenage boys who were staring at him in terror. "You cast the spell to answer the claims of a boy who threatened the Maricourt family, didn't you?"

"Objection!" Edana shouted, while Ewan's face had suddenly flushed with embarrassment at the subject matter. "He should have told Master Maricourt and let him deal with the matter privately. How do we know that the boy didn't fabricate these claims? Only Theo knew of this rumor, he could have lied to Adam about it just to get this result. My son is an empathetic young man and could easily be manipulated into believing blood magic wouldn't allow access to the bloodline. This could have all been a ploy to trick him into this spell."

"Mom, it was my idea!" Adam shouted, startling his parents with his boldness. "Theo wanted to run a paternity test in a lab and I said that we should use magic instead. It wasn't Theo's fault! What's the matter with him joining the bloodline anyway? We're just a family of witches and warlocks, not gods! Do you really think that we're better than a descendant of a Great Demon? Maybe we should be jealous of him."

Lucy smiled devilishly and leaned closer to her nephew.

"I like this guy. This one might be a keeper after all."

Theo rolled his eyes but basked in his aunt's praise in an otherwise hostile room. Adam was pretty special; Theo was just glad that someone else in his family could see it too.

"I have important information that needs to be added to the discussion!"

Evren Thorne burst into the room dramatically, earning frosty glares from Adam's parents. Lucy cringed at the spectacle. She had been trying to build an argument, but Evren's theatrics had derailed the conversation entirely.

"What's he doing here? This was supposed to be a private meeting."

"I'd like an answer to that question as well," Edana growled. "Last I checked, this man isn't a part of the Maricourt family and has no relevance here."

"What if I told you that this boy has the favour of one of the greatest of your family?" Evren asked, ignoring the glares. "He has received the blessing of a Maricourt far more talented than you."

"Who?" Edana demanded. "If this is some trick you've learned from your pet demons, I'll end this meeting before you can spread your lies."

"Edana, calm down," Josh snapped. "This isn't a trial and you're not in charge here. Let the man speak."

"Thank you." Evren adjusted his robes and cleared his throat dramatically. "Theo has been contacted by Master Reogus Maricourt and been accepted as an adoptee into the family."

"Who?"

Edana stared at Evren expectantly while the men beside her tried to hide their surprise.

"Only one of the greatest of the Pleasantview coven and one of the very few Guardians of Time," Ewan answered coldly. "Sometimes I forget how ignorant of history you and the rest of the remnants of our name in Strangetown can be. The fact that you even have to ask is embarrassing."

"Master Reogus Maricourt, born in Pleasantview. Father of Spencer Maricourt, coven leader, and Queen consort Reye of Crystal Cove," Theo recited from memory. Lucy's flash cards of important warlocks had been useful after all. "Blood magic wiped out most of his family. Spencer was the last coven leader before her grandson, Casper Maricourt, killed all heirs but himself."

"Impressive," Josh said kindly, smiling at Theo. "You've clearly been studying your magical history. Yes, Reogus was a great warlock and if he's made an appearance through time, who are we to judge? This apprentice seems to be well informed about the bloodline at least. Surely that fact is acceptable to you, Master Maricourt, Master Darktide-Traver?"

"It just shows that this was premeditated," Edana grumbled. "He knows all about the family he wanted to tap into. Him dating my son could have been a plot this entire time."

Any adult who had been subjected to the pining and obsession between Theo and Adam gave her a skeptical look.

"So what are you saying exactly?" Ewan asked. "This was an accident that an ancient warlock approves of? What does this mean for my son?"

No one seemed to have an answer for the question. Evren seemed to be the most educated on the situation, so he cleared his throat and tried to summarize his thoughts.

"I would imagine that the boys will share a connection through blood magic going forward," Evren stated. "Adam was the entry point for Theo to access the magic and in most cases like that, the two magic users share a connection throughout their lives. It would be a very light binding, but strong enough to keep the two of them attached to each other, always staying within the same physical region of the other. It wouldn't be as strong as a marriage binding or anything like that, but you'll probably always see Theo play some part in Adam's future. Blood will always call to blood."

"Which is what an ancient master approves of?" Ewan asked skeptically. "What's his interest in my son? Why should I accept his judgement, if what you're saying is even true? Is he going to reappear and mentor Adam or do I just have to assume some long dead warlock has 'plans' in mind? I know you have an attachment to the man, Evren, but this is reality. All I need to know is how to help my son. I don't care much for the approval of a long dead stranger when my child is potentially in danger."

Edana nodded solemnly. If Theo didn't know better, he swore he could see Adam's mother soften slightly. Though they fought viciously, it was evident that Edana had feelings of respect and admiration for her ex-husband when it came to their family. Ewan was the best father Edana knew he could be and if she didn't tear down any threat to their children first, he would be right behind her, his wand at the ready. It was hard to let go of the worry and fear she felt at the idea of Adam losing his future to some demon, but at least she always knew that Ewan would stand by her side to protect their children. If they could only agree on one thing, she knew it was their children.

"I couldn't say what Reogus' plans may be," Evren stated firmly. "I don't know why he's involved. All I know is that he was a man of integrity while I knew him and that he's watching over this demon, and by extension, your son. Your son isn't in any physical danger, and while he connected Theo to your bloodline, there are very few repercussions that I can see. The faint pull to each other that may manifest one day isn't strong and may simply bind them as life long friends should their romantic relationship end. All in all, I don't see anything that merits your concern in this situation. Talk with the Bellamys. Watch how Theo interacts with your son for yourselves. Be proactive, but admit to yourselves that this has happened and isn't going away any time soon. Adam has a good head on his shoulders and Theo isn't posing any threat to you. Surely you can see this for yourselves."

Ewan sighed heavily and looked at Edana. Edana's angry glare never wavered, but the hostility that she was broadcasting to the room began to weaken. Adam knew that look well. That was the same look his mother gave when she folded for Remy's demands for an expensive purse, or when she allowed Ewan to take the kids on her weekend to see a show he bought tickets for. Adam beamed at Theo, his anxiety melting away the more resigned his parents became.

"We're not breaking up or getting expelled!" Adam shouted, closing the distance between him and Theo and wrapping his arms around his boyfriend. "Things are okay."

"Really?"

"Uh, young apprentices? This is still a sacred space," Evren chided as the two teens awkwardly released each other.

"Yeah that's Roman's son, alright," Lucy groaned. "Well, unless anyone has any objections or things to add, I'd say that this meeting is finished?"

"I'd say so," Edana said quickly, standing up from her chair in a regal manner. "Though, we can always revisit the matter, especially if this so-called warlock ghost decides to actually show himself. I'll be keeping an eye on your nephew. A very close eye."

"Leave Theo alone, Mom! You don't understand him or how he feels about me. You don't know anything at all."

#sims 2 #arkhelios #arkhelios adventures #sim: theo bellamy #theo bellamy #adam darktide #edana darktide #sim: edana darktide #ewan g maricourt #josh branham #victor toyonaga #evren thorne #lucy chun #medora toyonaga

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