A Villainous Apocalypse - Episode 23 Prologue
There will be an actual Episode 23 in March, never you fear. I actually wrote a handful of slides for it months back but when I looked over them today I ended up deciding I wanted to open the episode differently. As this scene is still important and useful, have it as a bit of a teaser for the next proper update.
Elle awoke with a start, heart pounding.
It took her a moment to realize that she was at home, in the bed she shared with her husband, and not back at the college house. "Just a dream," she muttered, and tried to relax back into the mattress. "Not real. Of course not."
The realization disappointed her. She shoved the feeling away before it could get overwhelming. Of course she had regrets, everyone did, but she was married. She loved her husband, and she had a beautiful son. She couldn't go back and do anything differently, and she didn't want to.
Too awake now to go back to sleep, she slipped out of bed before she woke Tristan with her restlessness, and padded softly downstairs to check on Saxon.
“Young master Saxon, you appear to be in need of a diaper change. As everyone else is sleeping, I suppose I must assist.”
Conveniently, Elle tiptoed downstairs only after Gabriel had completed the less than pleasant task. “Thanks, Gabriel,” she whispered, so as not to wake her parents. “I’ll take it from here. You can go disinfect if you want.”
The Servo promptly handed her the baby. “Thank you, Miss Ellie, I will do just that.”
She smiled. “Just no shower accidents, please.”
“You have my word.” As he passed her, she thought she could see a little amusement on his metallic face, and wondered if wryness was perhaps not completely lost on him after all.
Although Saxon had just been changed, he still seemed uncomfortable and Gabriel had not quite managed to rid him of the poopy smell, so Elle took him to the bathroom sink to see if she could do something about that.
Being alone with her son relaxed her. The bathroom door barred them from the rest of the house, and for a moment, she could pretend that everything was all right. She smiled down at Saxon. “I love you so much,” she murmured.
The baby could not understand her, but he seemed content enough.
Elle thought abruptly that she ought to be grateful she had him. She was happy, of course, to be the mother of a healthy child, but at the same time the thought that he might be the only one she ever had filled her with overwhelming sadness.
“In all honesty, Elle, I’ve never wanted to have a lot of children,” Tristan had told her. “Having another one…I just don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“But…” she had faltered. “I’m the heir--”
“And you had an awful time while you were pregnant with Saxon. Plus, it got in the way of your job. It’s too much pressure on all of us to have another baby right now. Let’s just focus on the one we’ve got. Maybe we can have another once the labor laws get lifted.”
Remembering that Mya had said similar things, Elle had had to agree. It was only practical, she supposed, but even with his promise to make it up to her later, she felt dissatisfied.
Maybe he thinks he’s already made it up to me, she thought, a little bitterly, as she tucked Saxon back into his crib after a bottle. Tristan seemed to think of woohoo as a cure for all ills, but it just didn’t work that way for her. She enjoyed it less and less each time.
She bit her lip, suddenly worried. Does that mean there’s something wrong with me?
Pounding sounds from below startled her so much that she jumped and whirled toward the stairwell.
Her parents were asleep, and so was Tristan. Gabriel could not help making clunky noises whenever he moved, but even he would never make that much noise in the middle of the night.
The pounding came again. Someone’s at the door, she realized, frowning. It must be an emergency.
Hoping hard that their visitor had not brought bad news about Azula, or any of their elderly uncles and aunts, Elle snagged a shirt from the wardrobe and tiptoed downstairs to find out.
---
Guest Sim: Stuart Legacy
See you all very soon with Episode 23, and Happy Simming!
Elle awoke with a start, heart pounding.
It took her a moment to realize that she was at home, in the bed she shared with her husband, and not back at the college house. "Just a dream," she muttered, and tried to relax back into the mattress. "Not real. Of course not."
The realization disappointed her. She shoved the feeling away before it could get overwhelming. Of course she had regrets, everyone did, but she was married. She loved her husband, and she had a beautiful son. She couldn't go back and do anything differently, and she didn't want to.
Too awake now to go back to sleep, she slipped out of bed before she woke Tristan with her restlessness, and padded softly downstairs to check on Saxon.
“Young master Saxon, you appear to be in need of a diaper change. As everyone else is sleeping, I suppose I must assist.”
Conveniently, Elle tiptoed downstairs only after Gabriel had completed the less than pleasant task. “Thanks, Gabriel,” she whispered, so as not to wake her parents. “I’ll take it from here. You can go disinfect if you want.”
The Servo promptly handed her the baby. “Thank you, Miss Ellie, I will do just that.”
She smiled. “Just no shower accidents, please.”
“You have my word.” As he passed her, she thought she could see a little amusement on his metallic face, and wondered if wryness was perhaps not completely lost on him after all.
Although Saxon had just been changed, he still seemed uncomfortable and Gabriel had not quite managed to rid him of the poopy smell, so Elle took him to the bathroom sink to see if she could do something about that.
Being alone with her son relaxed her. The bathroom door barred them from the rest of the house, and for a moment, she could pretend that everything was all right. She smiled down at Saxon. “I love you so much,” she murmured.
The baby could not understand her, but he seemed content enough.
Elle thought abruptly that she ought to be grateful she had him. She was happy, of course, to be the mother of a healthy child, but at the same time the thought that he might be the only one she ever had filled her with overwhelming sadness.
“In all honesty, Elle, I’ve never wanted to have a lot of children,” Tristan had told her. “Having another one…I just don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“But…” she had faltered. “I’m the heir--”
“And you had an awful time while you were pregnant with Saxon. Plus, it got in the way of your job. It’s too much pressure on all of us to have another baby right now. Let’s just focus on the one we’ve got. Maybe we can have another once the labor laws get lifted.”
Remembering that Mya had said similar things, Elle had had to agree. It was only practical, she supposed, but even with his promise to make it up to her later, she felt dissatisfied.
Maybe he thinks he’s already made it up to me, she thought, a little bitterly, as she tucked Saxon back into his crib after a bottle. Tristan seemed to think of woohoo as a cure for all ills, but it just didn’t work that way for her. She enjoyed it less and less each time.
She bit her lip, suddenly worried. Does that mean there’s something wrong with me?
Pounding sounds from below startled her so much that she jumped and whirled toward the stairwell.
Her parents were asleep, and so was Tristan. Gabriel could not help making clunky noises whenever he moved, but even he would never make that much noise in the middle of the night.
The pounding came again. Someone’s at the door, she realized, frowning. It must be an emergency.
Hoping hard that their visitor had not brought bad news about Azula, or any of their elderly uncles and aunts, Elle snagged a shirt from the wardrobe and tiptoed downstairs to find out.
---
Guest Sim: Stuart Legacy
See you all very soon with Episode 23, and Happy Simming!