Perpetual Song (draft)

George Glass || Aurora Sand. he/they. in his thirties i guess. (masc and neutral language): a master pianist from one the wealthiest families in Seaside City.  On holiday in Floraville to help manage his Breathlessness.

Hazel Baker. it/its. 12 or 13. (masc language): has lots of responsibilities as the oldest son of a widower.  There isn’t anyone his age in Floraville, so he’s become the leader of all the town’s kids.

Tiffany Baker. fae/faer. most likely 8. (feminine language): a carefree lover of sweets. has not yet become afflicted by the family curse of perfectionism. gladly hypes up faer friends and brother.

Ellanna Smith. she/her. also likely 8 (or 10?). (feminine language): the bookworm daughter of the town blacksmith.  likes her hair in braided puffs best, but also likes them in locs and fros.

Mercury Swift. he/they?/she? possibly 6. (any language): a lil ball of energy and sound. child of the Floraville crier & post lord.

[hello, everyone! skipping ahead to what will likely become chapter 3 cuz i still have no concrete ideas for how the rescue operation will go down. all i got is “go thru the sewers” and “fight a boss battle”. but i do have a ton of notes for when they arrive in the city!]

[i just realized i forgot to name a character who’ll be appearing in this chapter 😒 well we’ll get to that later, i guess.]

[okay well i got 9 hours and change to beat this fox and pheonix so let’s get going!]

[and lo and behold, the first sentence curse. oh god.]

[setting description: salty air. bustling crowds (maybe not so much at the city entrance but definitely the further they get into the city). lots of bright colors in the fashion and architecture. columns and fishy flourishes. stalls and shops opening for the day. lots of carraiges? horses waiting and cabbies waiting for passengers.]

“You there,” George Glass said to a child in a newsboy cap.  He handed him a small bag of money, to the child’s delight. “This is for whatever fare you use.” To the child’s further delight, he handed them another bag. “And this is to deliver a message to Crepuscular Manor.  Tell Dawn Dusk that George Glass is coming.  And to prepare a large breakfast.” He indicated the children. “I’m bringing some friends.”

The child darted right off and jumped into the nearest empty carriage.  The driver hollered their outrage, but the child pointed at George Glass and handed over the money, and the driver set off right away.

“Are we going to take a cab too, George Glass?” Ellanna asked.

George Glass felt the grime and sweat of the previous day with renewed humiliation.  Regretfully, he said, “I doubt any reputable driver will take us in our current state.”

The children all groaned.  George Glass was sure they were all as tired as he was.  But not even his money would sway Seaside City’s stubbornly fussy cabbies.  Not with this many passangers.

“Well, I’m not about to let the George Glass and a bunch of children trek all the way up to Crepuscular Manor.  [My gran would come back to life and knock my spice rack on the ground.]  You’re all exhausted!” said a man as he rode up to them with his cart and horses.  He was wearing a wide-brimmed hat with peacock feathers that fluttered in the breaze. “Come on in!  Move whatever you need to, just don’t squish that large purple box.”

“Thank you,” George Glass said, wondering if the man heard him over the children cheering.  He gave him the rest of the money.  At first, the haberdasher refused to take the money, citing some stops he had to make along the way, but George Glass convinced him.  At George Glass’s request, the man helped him into the shotgun seat. “Might I have your name as well?”

“Of course!” the man said. “Hasan! of Hasan’s Hats. Haberdasher extraordinaire!”

“I should say,” George Glass smiled, looking at the one Hasan was wearing then. “Is that also your work?”

“One of my finest!” Hasan beamed.

“Why’s it got so many feathers?” Mercury asked.

“They’re for impressing people!” Hasan said. “And I like the colors.  My gramps on my dad’s side loves peacocks.  He played one in a musical he was in, and his boyfriend at the time was one of the makeup artists.  Well, that night, his boyfriend became his fiancé.”

Mercury said “wow!”, Hazel said “good for them!”, Tiffany said “ew…”, and Ellanna looked up from her book.

Hasan’s gaze flickered to George Glass before returning to the road, “My great-gran on my mom’s mom’s side started using a wheelchair ten years back.  She couldn’t go to her favorite restaurant anymore cuz it didn’t have a ramp and all the tables were jammed too close together.  Then you show up with that friend of yours, Dawn Dusk, and make a huge ol’ stink, and bam! renovations over night!” Hasan’s smile and tears grew fond.  He wiped his eyes and looked ahead, guiding the horses ’round a triple-tiered fountain. “She got to enjoy all her favorites again.”

“I’m glad we were able to help her,” said George Glass. “I hope her passing was painless.”

“It was,” Hasan nodded. “She died in her sleep.  99 years…”

Now that, all the children were impressed by.  George Glass remembered thinking 20 was old at their ages.  99 years was ancient history!

[alright 850+ more words of this damn fox. we can do this!]

The children gladly handed Hasan the packages he needed to deliver along the way, and took special care with the purple one.  Top hats, sun hats, feathered hats, beaded hats, and more made their way to new homes and grateful owners.  [Even a socialite that George Glass knew from experience was especially fussy.]  [Even a socialite whom George Glass knew from experience.]  Even a socialite who notoriously never left a gala without complaint had nothing unkind to say about her commission.  She gave Hasan a tip so large, he struggled to heave it into the carraige.  George Glass was speechless.

And Hasan was equally good with the children.

[“Watcha reading there, Ellana?” Hasan asked.]

“Wanna try leading the horses, Hazel?” Hasan asked. “The roads are pretty empty around here, and I’ll be right beside you!”

At first, Hazel squirmed, lacking confidence.  But then Ellanna chimed in, “It’s like riding a horse, you’re just leading them from the back.”

“Exactly, Ellanna!” Hasan said. “Have you been learning to drive a carriage?”

“My dad was teaching me to help with deliveries,” Ellanna nodded.  Then she grew grave. “I don’t want to learn from him again.  I don’t want to learn from any of our parents again.  They betrayed us.”  With tears in her eyes, she asked George Glass. “Is it safe to cry now?”

“Yes!” he said, reaching out to hold her hand. “Yes, it is, little one.”

Ellanna was a quiet crier.  It seemed like even then, she was holding back.  But Mercury and Tiffany certainly made up for that, with interest.  Hazel found its arms full of them even while its own eyes were spilling tears.

George Glass looked at Hasan briefly, his own eyes damp when he closed them.  Hasan quietly continued driving.

When they arrived at Crepuscular Manor, [snd the children had gone right along and run up the ramp to the.] [and the children had run right along.] and the children had gone ahead at George Glass’s insistence, Hasan said to George Glass, “I can’t do anything for their trauma, but I can give them free hats.”

“I’m sure they’ll be delighted,” George Glass agreed. “But I insist on paying for them.”

“And I insist on you not paying for them,” Hasan said.

“And I assure you that I make more money by just existing than your entire family has made across its history,” George Glass countered. “Off the backs of your family’s labor and countless others at that.”

Hasan shrugged yet seemed agreeable at last.

George Glass turned to the manor. [manor description. stark contrast of light and dark? maybe some sparkly bits??? sunset/sunrise imagery.]

The children were already at the door.  Hazel hesitated to ring the bell until George Glass nodded to assure it.

The doors flung wide open when George Glass arrived.

And at the doors was Dawn Dusk, wearing a glittering dark blue robe and matching trousers, sitting in sols wheelchair with a cocksure lean and grin.  So had positioned solself in front of an array of boymaids and butch butlers.

Sols expression turned when so saw the children.  So closed their robe and said, “George Glass! You might’ve mentioned your friends were children!”

“My apologies, my dear, it must’ve slipped my mind,” George Glass gave sol a grin of his own.

“What are they doing?” Tiffany asked.

“Flirting,” Ellana smirked.

“What’s flirting?” Tiffany asked.

“That’s when grownups wanna play together in the barn.”

“Ew!!!” Tiffany said.

George Glass, Hazel, and the staff were containing his amusement, but Dawn Dusk withered in sols seat.

“Wait, how are they gonna play in the barn?” Mercury asked. “There aren’t any barns here.”

“That’s why city folks gotta practice all the time,” Hazel said. “They gotta make the trip there and back worth it.”

Tiffany continued to be disgusted while Mercury and Ellanna deemed its explanation logical.  By then, several members of the staff were openly giggling, and Dawn Dusk seemed to want to evaporate on the spot.

[we might change Dawn Dusk’s pronouns btw.]

[no, i’m not feeling they/them for Dawn Dusk either… ]

[okay i said i’d stretch after finishing that fox so i’ll get right back to writing in a sec.]

[alrighty i’m back. welcome, raiders! thank you DigiDragon7 for raiding me! i hope y’all enjoy the stream.]

[we’re gonna fight this phoenix thing, an arenica, next. and then i’ll prolly sign off for the day with a possible evening stream later, depending. so if there’s anybody y’all would like to raid, i am open to suggestions, or i’ll just pick someone. i’m guessing we’ll finish up in an hour, maybe? so we’ve got time! let me just check that it’s just one arenica and not two.]

[okay good i don’t wanna fight another one of these today. XD definitely not in the next 7 hours.]

[where the hell did that sentence go? whatever.]

• So is Seaside City’s rock star of literature.
• Three of last year’s most popular novelettes were written by sol.
• That is yet another one of sols books.
• That contribution to the anthology is sols.
• Dawn Dusk certainly doesn’t need anymore pride in solself.

[maor neopronouns :U by 3031, all characters will use neopronouns.]

[damn i just wanna write pronoun breakdowns for all these characters now.]

[skip the story, play the pronouns.]

• George Glass.
  • He is a master pianist from Seaside City.  They are currently on holiday in Floraville to help manage their Breathlessness and to await accessibility renovations to his family home: the Bravery Estate.  His cane evokes lunar shapes, hinting that it was a gift from their friend: Dawn Dusk.  That dark blue coat of his is rather distinctive too.  Compositions of theirs have reportedly evoked rather strong emotions in whoever hears them.  Several renowned pianists have benefited from tutoring by him.  He themself is well-known for investing in local businesses; however, they himself does this rather quietly.  Seaside City is lucky to have them!
• Hazel Baker.
  • It has many responsibilities as the oldest child in its family―all of Floraville, really.  Hazel has found itself the leader of the town’s children.  Those snow shapes of its are impressive, too.  Its parents ought to praised and appreciate it more.
• Tiffany Baker.
  • Fae loves sweets and treats.  Hazel often has to stop faer from eating the shop goods.  Fae‘ll happily hype faer friends and big brother.  Few townspeople’s emotions are as vibrant as faers.  Fae knows fae and faer brother don’t get praised as much as other children do, so fae‘s determined to praise them faerself.
• Ellanna Smith.
  • She‘ll spend all day reading those books of hers, if you let her.  Ellanna herself might be the best-read person in Floraville, in fact!  She likes her hair in braided puffs best, but she also likes wearing it in fros and cornrows.
• Mercury Swift.
  • He quite possibly gets all his energy and volume from those parents of his: Floraville’s town crier and post lord.  They might have trouble keeping up with him as he grows.  He‘d like a distinctive hat for himself.

[alright back to the story, i think.]

[oh goddammit i need another………..]

“Mirage?” Dawn Dusk called for sols head butler.

“Yeah, boss?” Mirage stepped forward, lively and swiftly, smiling; no doubt amused by the whole affair.  His curls simmered close to his scalp, and his vest sat neatly fitted against his curves.  His glasses and brogues gleamed, seemingly freshly shined for the occasion.

[butch in gender and in style.]

[also i’m definitely drawing Mirage later. there is no universe where that doesn’t happen.]

[i tried drawing george glass last night but i’m still not happy with the proportions. i tried working in twitter post sizing but next time, i’ll work in a vertical canvas, see if that helps.]

[pretty sure brogues are what i’m thinking of. there’s a fancy-looking masculine dress shoe type that Super Fancy People don’t like for some reason, and thematically, that makes the most sense for the Crepuscular Manor dress code.  Dawn Dusk does not give a shit. give sol all the fancy flourishes!]

[also look up a how to color glitter tutorial.]

“Will you show the children where they can wash up?” Dawn Dusk said. “I’ll attend to George Glass personally.”

“I’m sure you will, sir,” Mirage smirked, leading the children away with several of his fellows giggling in his wake.

Dawn Dusk looked up at George Glass, unamused.  George Glass couldn’t help but chuckle.  So was utterly adorable when so was pouting.

Soon enough, the pout broke into a dramatic sigh.

“And pray tell, my aspen, what am I to do with you?” Dawn Dusk asked. “You show up at my door, unannounced―”

“I sent a messenger ahead,” George Glass interrupted.

“Unclean!” Dawn Dusk continued. “And with children.  Just what have you been up to on your holiday, hmm?  Find a pretty town mouse in a barn??  Without inviting me???  Just think of the scandals I can brew with that!”

“All the better to make my parents roll in their grave,” George Glass said.

The two QPPs burst into laughter.  Dawn Dusk’s hearty and George Glass’s airy.

And with that, Dawn Dusk led George Glass to a more private room nearby.  It functioned like a bedroom, although in size, it was more of a nest.  The opulent amount of blankets and pillows certainly made it cozy like one.  George Glass washed up in the attached bathroom.

As George Glass sat in the shower, lathered up and rinsed, he relished the cleanliness like he never thought he would.  He and the children could finally rest from all this!  And eat!  He knew if he was feeling the call to food, the children likely had been for a while as well.  Filling food, not just whatever fruits they could find along the forest road.

After George Glass dried and dressed, he found Dawn Dusk writing notes at the desk by the bed.

[i’m pretty sure sols full first name is Dawn Dusk. like, it’s not first name: Dawn; last name: Dusk.]

[oh, also, Sims 4 charisma leveling pro tip: loveseats.]

[alright that’s it for me, for now. we’re gonna go raid protogilly.]