56. Gathering Storm

Last chapter…

We caught up with the crew all teenified at long last!

Oly, Selene, and Colt were sitting in a human café (mysteriously not eating or drinking anything) having a chat about bacteria and dreamwalking, and then it got a little weird for some reason, but that’s okay cuz Colt got them kicked out anyhow.

Mosi tried to talk to Aretmis about girls (code: Persephone), but she wasn’t having any of that hormonal shit because she’s got More Important Things To Do, like read tomes and try and talk to ghosts, ok.

Onward!

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Selene watched her sister furiously scratching away in a notebook and hesitated; Artemis really didn’t like to be interrupted when she was in the middle of taking research notes…or any other time, for that matter, but this was important.

“Artie?”

“What’s up, Lena.”

“Um, well, I was hoping you could help me with something, actually–”

“Sure, as long as it isn’t about your dick.”

“My wha–ah, I don’t have a–it’s about books!”

Artemis snorted and scraped her chair around to face the other girl, “are you fucking with me? You don’t read books.”

Selene pouted and sat down, “don’t be mean, Artie, I’m serious! I need to find some books…or, well, even just one book? On Dreamwalking.”

“Dreamwalking, eh? That’s an oddly specific obscure magical topic you’ve taken a sudden interest in–”

“Ugh! Don’t tease me, I’m embarrassed enough as it is,” huffed Selene, “it’s for Oly, okay? I want to learn how to share my dreams with someone, you know, on purpose.”

“I thought Persephone was helping Oly with that, why would they need a book? I mean, all the good books belong to Oly’s grammas anyhow, right?”

“Er, well…actually, you see, the book is for me? I just feel really left out of that whole part of Oly’s life, a-and I know it’s not on purpose, Oly wouldn’t ever leave me out on purpose, but I don’t have magic.”

“Okay, but books don’t actually give you magic, you know that right? You’re not just going to be able to read some tome and ‘ta da!’ magic for Selene!”

“Yes of course I know that!” Snapped the older girl, “I may not be as brilliant as you two geniuses, Artemis, but I’m hardly an idiot!”

“And yet, here you are, asking me to find you a book on fairy magic so that you can what–live vicariously through the concept of it? Offer symbolic emotional support by sleeping with it under your pillow?”

“No! Goddess!” This really wasn’t going as well as Selene had hoped, why must Artemis always be so difficult? “I just wanted to see if there was something I could do, okay? Oly can join other people’s dreams, non-magical people, and I thought maybe there was a book that could tell me how to like…I don’t know, make a dream to share?”

“Wait, you want to, lure Oly into one of your dreams?” Why did Artemis have to make it sound so tawdry, “what kind of dream did you have in mind, Lena?”

“Stop toying with me; can you help or not?” And it was absolutely none of her sister’s business what kind of dreams she wanted to share with her best friend!

“Well no, actually I can’t,” Selene felt her stomach drop at her sister’s words, “fresh out of super rare magical manuscripts I’m afraid; sorry kid, no kinky-mind-sex-trap instruction manuals for you.”

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Selene looked absolutely horrified, and Artemis felt the slightest pang of regret for the taunt; truth be told, her sister’s pure little mind probably hadn’t ever conceived of using a dream to seduce anyone…though, you never know…wasn’t it always the sweet ones?

“Look, the fact of the matter is, the only people around here who have any real books on magic are the witches, like I said before; and believe you me, I’d kill to get my hands on some of those–“

“Well…could we ask to borrow some?”

“Yeah, right, witches just love to share,” funniest shit she’d heard all week, “in case you didn’t realize, that was sarcasm.”

“I mean, what if we borrowed some without asking–and then put them back right after!”

Artemis felt her heart swell with a strange feeling…was that…pride?!

“Lena…are you suggesting we steal from witches–?” How incredibly provocative. Artemis was astonished she hadn’t thought of it first, naturally.

“I mean, I don’t think we need to use the word steal…it’s really just borrowing if we give them back, isn’t it?

“Sure, whatever floats your boat.”

“And–and I think I know someone who might be willing to help us!”

“You mean, like, Oly? Hmm, maybe; that kid does like mischief.”

“Well, no, I’d rather not involve Oly to be honest, I, um, have someone else in mind…”

Artemis was pretty sure this was the dumbest idea in the history of dumb ideas, “this is a dumb idea.”

“Shush! He’ll hear you!” Selene hissed through her fake smile.

“Selene,” declared the world’s biggest boob, totally ignoring the fact that Artemis was also standing right friggin there, “you’re at my house.”

‘Oh good, and here I was, worried we were asking for the help of an utter tool.’

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“This is legit the most boring shit I’ve ever done in my life, woman,” as usual Cousin P wanted to play some stupid woo woo thing that would ‘open your mind’s eye’, whatever the crap that meant.

Oly’s mind’s eye was just fine squeezed tight shut, ok.

“Do you see the stratocumulus formations?” As usual, Persephone ignored the jab; this chick had iron clad dedication to her woo woo.

“Fuck no.”

“Gather the shapes with your mind.”

“Ugh, fine,” it was really just easier to do what she wanted, otherwise they’d be out here all flippin day getting sunburned like a pair of nubs, “gatheriiiiiiing; gathered.”

“The exercise doesn’t work if you don’t do it, cousin.”

“Omg, how do you even know?” Cousin P was legit freaky sometimes.

“I’ve had plenty of experience teaching stubborn children; now, lay back and gather the clouds in your mind.”

Seriously, moms wasn’t even this bossy; something else moms wasn’t? Scary like Cousin P when it was woo woo time.

“Dude, what does this even have to do with dreaming, seriously,” like, they were awake, you know, and it was daytime and shit.

“Clouds are light and air, like a wisp of fancy; if you can learn to shape them to your will, so to can you learn to form a world made of thought.”

Oly sighed and flopped back down, “yeah, I don’t get it.”

“There’s an even better one over there; see how cheeky it’s perimeters are? It is puckish, like you; let it fill your eyes.”

“So Selene said something weird the other day,” maybe a distraction would work?

“I imagine we won’t get much done here until you’ve told me all about it,” she didn’t sound like she was being judgey, but Oly was pretty sure the eye roll was implied.

Whatevs.

“You, gathered, correctly,” Oly snorted, “heh, get it?”

“Yes, cousin.”

“Right, okay, SO, she offered to help me practice the dream stuff by sharing a dream with me…don’t ask…anywho, I got to thinking, like, can humans even do that? Share a dream on purpose?”

“Dreams are the magic that humans can touch, and with the right instruction and intention, share, though in a limited capacity; Selene will never walk among the clouds, but she can open herself to those who soar.”

“Imma take all that as a yes.”

“And people say you’re slow.”

“Whoa, P, did you just take a swing?”

“Lay back and let the clouds fill your eyes.”

“You know I hate this shit, right?”

“Yes; lay down.”

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“Raet,” his voice cracked over the second syllable in her name.

‘Dude; keep your shit together.’

“Pili?!”

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Footnotes:

Dun Dun Dunnn (etc).

Did you seriously think I was getting rid of Pili just like that? Oh ye of little faith, and also, ye who totally underestimate my Pili fixation (therapy later, ok).

So what am I doing? Haaa. Nothing logical. Logic isn’t fun.

To all the legions (okay, like, 2 people) of Raet superfans out there; YOU’RE WELCOME (awkward hugs and unwelcome kisses).

Also:

Practical but still fey Khafre: “HAPPY SIMMING!!”