Notes from Project Dawn, Chapter 18 – Lucky for Some

It was 6am when they finally rolled into Lucky Palms, and the sun was already blazing overhead. The house was tiny, the roads were sand, but they were safe; that was the main thing. 

It took about five minutes before Lynette started panicking. 

‘We have four cots, two beds,  a changing table, a fridge, and a stove. That’s it; we have no money for actual food – what are we going to do?! We’re fifteen, Garth, we can’t just drop school, someone’ll start asking questions!’

‘You know what we’re going to do.’

‘I’m not sponging off our relatives – ‘ 

‘He’s our brother, Lynette, and he’ll help us. Deci’s a good guy.’

‘We barely remember him!’

‘Yeah, but he’s family. He’ll help us, I know he will.’

And with that, the phonecall was made. A desperate, slightly teary phone call. And it worked. 

December “Deci,” Mallon knew what it was like to have kids far too young; he’d barely been out of secondary school when his son had been born. To be honest, he’d fitted in perfectly in Midnight Hollow, so why he’d left was a mystery. 

Garth had been right about one thing – Deci and his wife, Mariah, were genuinely good people. They’d done the exact same thing; flee Midnight Hollow with nothing but a baby and the clothes on their backs, and they’d made it work, even if Mariah’s idea of entertainment was a little… unusual, though at least it was quiet. 

Their son, Andre, was eight, and although he wasn’t much help with childcare or with setting up furniture, he was a sweet kid.

Though as good as their intentions were, December’s family had their own life, too, and it fell to more immediate family to step up to the plate. Four babies, little money, and a full time education were taking their toll.

And since jobs were scarce for teenagers with no qualifications, no documents, and no parents, their bank account often ended up supplemented via rather unorthodox means.

After all, childcare wasn’t cheap, even if the babysitters were useless.

And as for maids, well… it was definitely more than a part time job could pay for.

The real problems began when the toddler years hit; four identical girls with very different personalities. From left to right – Marigold (Neurotic, Good, Yellow), Nana (Adventurous, Insane, Black), Persephone (Clumsy, Virtuoso, Green), and Ottoline (Over Emotional, Loner, Purple).

It might have been a more hands off parenting style, but four children with two sets of hands just wasn’t enough.

December took over when he could (even though his parenting was more “Eh. what’s the worst that can happen, let ’em explore,”), the quads were mostly left to themselves.

As children, they were a little easier to manage, though the cramped house certainly wasn’t helping.

Money was tight, and thus entertainment was scarce; library books were about the only things kept in the house.

Or, of course, assist with the mounds of chores that were always steadily piling up.

Alternatively, you had good old fashioned games of tag, because athletic training wasn’t expensive when you had acres of desert to run around in.

Or playing king of the castle – at all hours of the day.

The newly built community centre was definitely one of the biggest assets Lucky Palms had to offer for underprivileged kids; free skilling items, 24 hours a day.

Now the girls were older, more of their personalities were shining through; Persephone seemed to be perpetually teased by her peers; a loser, in other words. Ottoline seemed to spend most of her time in the great outdoors, and Marigold seemed to be developing a bit of a temper.

Nana, on the other hand, kept to herself, devouring skill books; Lynette suspected they might have a prodigy on their hands.

Ottoline’s fish were small, but they made for tasty dinners, and sold paintings and book royalties were small, but useful contributions.

And the paintings were cute, if not a little abstract.

The food was free, and it wasn’t as if the quads had a whole lot of friends, so they mostly kept to themselves. A healthy imagination between four sisters was definitely enough for fun and games.

But a secondary school career and a part time job at a sleazy spa were taking their toll; particularly on Garth’s hair.

But young as they were, the girls were quick to notice the strangers gathering outside their house, and Lynette’s reaction to their appearance.

While at school, they had flown under the radar, the mysterious strangers were soon tracking the Mallon children even there.

And the fear and anxiety it was causing wasn’t exactly easy to miss.

‘They’ve been following us. Garth – one of them even tried to get into the school’s office, yesterday, until one of the teachers caught them – ‘

‘Maybe if we told the headmaster – ‘

‘Told them what, that we’re being stalked by a bunch of crazy lunatics who want to sell a group of ten year old girls, because their father was – ‘

‘Shh! They’ll hear!’

‘Look, they might not have meant us!’ was Persephone’s attempt at consolation, even if her sister was too hysterical to listen. ‘Maybe they meant a TV show or something!’

‘Yeah,’ Nana insisted. ‘Mummy died ages ago, and we didn’t have a dad; he left before we were born, everyone knows that!’

‘Oh, really?’ Ottoline accused. ‘You mean the dad that no one will talk about, the dad Lynette won’t talk about?! That dad? Someone’s not telling the truth.’

But maybe, the mysterious strangers would.

Birthdays came, in a rather unspectacular fashion.

The only trouble was, it seemed the house was getting smaller by the day, especially as adults.

Marigold’s fourth trait was Friendly – not the most interesting.

Nana, ever the sweet girl, gained Green Thumb.

Ottoline, who for some reason, wanted to join the military and become an astronaut, was now Dramatic.

And Persephone was now a Hopeless Romantic.

So since this is now technically Gen 2, I’m going to have an heir poll. This is mostly allow me to plan a little for storylines, and to also keep people tided over for July, because I’ll be on hiatus for a month due to NaNoWriMo.

The other reason is because my computer is dying a slow death and will be replaced, and this the game will have to be reinstalled etc, and I need time to do that.

Voting will be open for a week or so, and can be done on the poll here, on the reddit thread in r/TheSims, on the WordPress comments, or on the boolprop thread. FYI the storylines will differ later in the second gen, provided who you pick.

With that in mind, please let me know what you think!

~ Viki

 

Notes from Project Dawn – Into the Valley of Death

The day that Midnight Hollow crumbled was an average one. The sun set red. The night sky rolled in. And Death showed up to a birthday party.

It made sense, after all; how else was he supposed to claim that unfortunate woman who had somehow passed on from old age in the swimming pool? But no one expected him to stay.

And certainly, no one would have ever dreamed that Ramona Mallon would draw him into her web.

It all started with the offer of a place to stay. Turns out that the man under the robes isn’t a demon without a face, but a handsome young man with ever-changing eyes. And of course, Ramona Mallon was curious. An unconventional scientist, yes, but a scientist all the same, and the child of Death itself was definitely something worth studying.

He was no better or worse than any of the others she’d had, and almost to her disappointment, was polite, but not passionate.

He stood and watched her for a while, then disappeared into the ether. It was like he had never been there at all, with no trace of his presence aside from a set of rumpled sheets and the faint scent of rain.

Ramona was almost convinced she’d imagined the entire thing, until the all too familiar symptoms started up again, the nausea creeping up like a cold hand running down her spine.

They varied sometimes – she was left totally bedbound, or not sick at all, sometimes craving the most disgusting food imaginable, sometimes barely able to keep down bread. But this one barely seemed to be growing, five months in.

That was, at least, until the deaths started.

Midnight Hollow wasn’t exactly the cheeriest of places. Everywhere was draped in black, up to and including the clouds. The sky was always the colour of blood at sunset, and they had more graveyards than they did grocery stores. Death wasn’t an uncommon visitor to the town, but this was something else entirely. And it seemed to be following Ramona.

At first it was just some of the elderly, quietly shuffling off while no one paid attention.

Witnessing deaths in town was pretty unlucky, but a drowning at the local pool? A house fire night next door? And the handyman, well… that was just unfortunate.

Weirdly, she began recovering after that. Before, the baby was so small, they couldn’t even find it on the ultrasound. There had been fears of a phantom pregnancy – a true supernatural phenomenon – but after the deaths, it was almost growing overnight. First no more than a blip, then four little heartbeats. Almost like they were… feeding.

But, no matter. Ramona had resolved to carry on as normal – she had far too many sets of twins to count anyway, and four at once couldn’t be much more difficult, with the older kids to help out. The trouble was, not everyone in town was so supportive.

Demotions, protests, refusal of entry into shops. Whispers in the street, her elder children being shunned from school. As soon as Felix was old enough, he fled the town alone, leaving his mother and siblings to deal with the fallout.

Midnight Hollow’s burning grudge was a thing to be reckoned with. For all its macabre ways, they protected their own. And Ramon Mallon, with flame bright here and a stunning smile, was not one of them.

So she found herself left with no choice, but to call Sunrise Inc.

They were firm, and probably not in the least bit fair.

‘We’re a business, not a charity. This is an emergency situation; we can’t save everyone. You take what you have, then leave, understand? We’re looking out for the future of the experiment. Sacrifices have to be made.’

And with that, Ramona was forced to agree.

It was deemed an emergency situation, a necessary evacuation that started with a cover story and ended with a bang. It was nothing too surprising; attacks had been happening for weeks, and a deliberate arson attempt definitely wouldn’t be anything new. People were starting to get scared and looking for a scapegoat; the target, therefore, was obvious.

So she slipped away, in the early hours of the morning, whilst the flames engulfed the wreckage of the life she’d left behind.

The new clinic was one in Sunset Valley; quiet, discreet, and state of the art medical tech that most places could only dream of. Some smartass had codenamed the babies “The Four Horseman,” and the rumour had spread before Ramona could make it stop. Test after test, then extensive bedrest, because when you’re the incubator for the children of Death, there’s no expense spared.

Ramona herself, for the most part, was confined to bed rest, a dull, slow punishment where she had nothing to do but wait, under strict supervision.

‘Mum, can’t we just go home? You can have the kids there, that’s what you did with the rest of us.’
‘Soon. It won’t be long, okay? Sunrise’ll give us a place to say, and we can carry on, as normal. Just like before, but somewhere better.’

Less than a week later, the labour began’ earlier than usual, painful and frightening; nothing she wasn’t used to, apart from life and death tangled in a bloody paradox.

So then of course, it was really no surprise that it ended the way it did.

The children were perfect; four girls, born minutes after the other. No one was sure quite what had happened; the doctors were murmuring about a quadruplet birth being too much for the mother to handle, others whispering about curses. Death was never supposed to produce life, so he needed something fair in return.

But nonetheless, they were loved in return. Family was family, no matter who the parents were.

Unfortunately, there were some who would disagree.

 ‘B – but they’re my sisters, I can’t just give them to you to be lab rats! They’re babies.’

‘Your mother signed a contract – ‘

‘I never signed any contract – ‘

‘You have no idea, do you? You just see this as pointless cruelty – these children could prove everything! Years of study, years of experimentation, and you just want to waste their potential?!’

‘You’re pathetic. I would have expected better from you.’

‘And I think my mother would have expected a bit of common human decency – ‘

‘Your mother was going to hand them over anyway. She knew what was at stake.’

Garth stayed silent throughout the exchange, waiting, planning, counting on an opportune moment to whisper his plans when his twin was alone.

And in the dead of night, the desperate, half thought out plan, borne of love, came to fruition.

Hooray, reboot time! As you can probably tell, these chapters take longer to produce since it’s now going to be story based, and there’s a lot of staging and such. I’m working on my novel right now and don’t want to prioritise one or the other, so I’m aiming for two chapters a month, week on/week off.

It’s still a 100 Baby Challenge, but it may use the DITFT outline; I’m not too sure. But if you like what you see or have any feedback, please leave a comment.

So holy shit that was longer than I meant

So no one is probably reading this blog anymore, which is entirely my own fault. I graduated uni, went to working full time, and my computer is dying on me.

BUT

I do love TS3. I do love legacy blogging. And I do love where I was going with this legacy. Plus I’m getting a new gaming PC next month, so I will be back! And I actually mean it this time. Minimum one post a month.

If anyone is reading this, please let me know! I appreciate it!

~ Viki

 

 

Photos – 15

Moraira, Spain. Gorgeous place.

Also, I haven’t forgotten about the Mallons! Just remember what I said about story posts taking longer if I have to stage them? Yeah, there’s a hell of a lot of that, and I’m scouring CC like crazy…but I’m not gone! I keep my promises!

 

Notes From Project Dawn – Chapter 16 – I Swear the Hiatus Was Unintentional

Obligatory “holy shit it’s been four months,” post.

Yeah, even I didn’t realise it had been that long, and I’m truly sorry. Life has hit me like a freight train; graduation, getting two more jobs and then juggling the three of them over Christmas, getting RSI in my left hand and having eye surgery…yeah being an adult is hard ):

Bur! I’m not giving up and I actually have the next few chapters planned out, so here is my New Year’s Resolution for all the lovely readers (all five of you! <3) who have stuck around this long – at least one post every two weeks. I’m going to try for one update a week, but any chapters with an actual plot and staging may take a little longer, so I’ll keep you updated. I also need to start posting photos again, so keep an eye out!

So without further ado, I present to you Chapter Sixteen, where I remember no one’s name or what the hell was actually going on:

He looks like Darron so he must be Florence’s kid. Sorry I don’t remember who you are.

Time for another round of “How Isn’t This Legacy Dead Yet!” Exhibit A!

Exhibit B!

And Exhibit C! Natural selection really should have takes its course by now.

Kay: ‘Dammit, Mother, what are you doing! The fire won’t extinguish itself!’

Ramona: ‘Hush, dear, we need the insurance money.’

It’s no good trying to be a mother now. Most of them hate you.

Felix: ‘Yeah, this isn’t even my bed.’

So I finally caved and bought the baby walker and playpen, so now the toddlers can skill themselves, because this challenge definitely isn’t about parenting.

Kay: ‘Oh, quick, what’s that behind you?!’

Ramona: ‘Oh God – ‘

Kay: ‘ACTUAL RESPONSIBILITIES!’

I’m surprised Ramona hasn’t fainted from the strain.

Yeah, she has an actual job now, which is probably breaking the rules, but it’s not like I ever paid attention to them anyway. She’s only making tea at the offices.

Garth grew up, and only the important people cared.

December for king.

Lynette is just continuing her trend of being ignored, apparently.

Loving the mix of skin tones we’ve got here! Lynette rolled Social Butterfly, Garth got Workaholic, which’ll be interesting.

God blesss this boy. I want him for heir.

The kids are all being weirdly studious. Maybe it’s a desire to get into uni and run for it, though the kids are smarter than the teenagers, even if they do ,match the bathroom.

Oh, look who it is.

December: ‘Who even let you in?’

Mayra: ‘Your mother. She said one more kid wouldn’t make a difference at this point.’

Mayra: ‘But that’s okay, right? So, is Ezra in…?’

December: ‘Get out. We’re through, and if you dare come back again, I’ll turn you back into a Face One.’

Damn, that’s a pretty solid threat. I never saw her again.

Still not the right bed, but I’ll give you credit for trying.

Not even close to the right bed, Ramona.

Kay: ‘Oh ancient spirits, I summon thee, offering up a sacrifice of dirty washing, mouldy food and dirt…come forth, Bonehilda!’

…

Maybe this house is too much even for her.

Mikey: ‘Hey guys, check this out! I learned this amazing new trick!’

Mikey: ‘Hi Grim! I found a stick for you!’

Grim: ‘Good boy, Mikey. Time to go, okay? I’ve got a new ball waiting for you.’

Mikey: ‘New ball? YES!’

His new trick was transforming into an urn, in case you were wondering.

Oh wow, have we got everyone in the same picture? Impressive.

December: ‘Aaaand we’re done. Shame I have to show off the Plumbob now.’

Heartless bastards, the lot of you.

Ramona: ‘Ah, there’s my favourite son. How are you today?’

December: ‘Slightly traumatised by seeing you in skimpy underwear?’

Yeah, I think Felix is contemplating sticking his head in the gem cutting machine.

December: ‘Ah, what a wonderful death that would be…’

Felix: ‘Quite so.’

Morbid little shits, the pair of you.

But hey, at least Ezra’s being normal.

They’ll have pretty children.

Kay: ‘So, I don’t want to freak you out, buuuut…’

Aleshia: ‘But what? I know, you’re all part of some warped genetics experiment – ‘

Kay: ‘Oh, no. Worse than that. We have a ghost in the house. And a skeleton maid’

Ezra: ‘WHAT DID YOU DO?!’

Ending relationships, apparently.

Ezra: ‘It’s okay, babe. The skeleton maid is lazy and never cleans anything anyway. I’ll protect you.’

I wish you lot could be heir ):

Felix grows up and is once again ignored. His fourth trait is Avant Garde, which explains the dress sense and why he makes the best faces.

See?

I can’t remember if this is because I was too lazy to design a bed, or he went there anyway.

Me too, Bonehilda. Me too.

I installed Woohooer for some reason and put the teen pregnancy settings on, just to make things more interesting, and look at all the drama I’ve created. This is also the girl I wanted to pair December off with, too.

And the boy himself celebrates his birthday in the corner of the party. But he’s amazing so he can get away with it.

Not too bad, for a change.

And now for Kay! Not that Ramona cares.

God, there’s so many ginger people. I knew I’d never get rid of that hair.

Hi, Harper! Sorry about impaling you…

Ramona: ‘I miss that dog more than I’ll ever miss you…’

Kay: ‘Trust me, I know.’

She looks exactly like Ramona sans the nose, I think. Also notice Catrin and Ellery back there – the grudge still looms… Oh, and that might be Delphine in the robot costume.

While he looks cute, I miss that mohican.

There we go. Isn’t he adorable. His last trait is Perceptive.

Kay also turned out lovely, and got Grumpy, which suits her fine.

Aleshia: ‘Is this family cursed or something?’

Old Lady: ‘Nah, more like blessed! Look, I can hover!’

Old Lady: ‘Oh.’

Twice in one chapter? Dammit.

Ramona: ‘Still care about the dog more – ‘

Catrin: ‘Isn’t this fun! What a wonderful party!’ 😀

Catrin’s in denial.

OL: ‘So, uh, what happens now?’

Aleshia: ‘Don’t look at me. Maybe stay away from the electric ghost.’

OL: ‘Well, the water’s very nice – anyone else fancy a swim?’

Grim: ‘All right, I’m coming – damn traffic, the zombies in this place, I swear…’

Grim: ‘Just give me a minute. Great, now I’m going to have waterlogged robes for the rest of my shift, I hope you’re happy.’

 Grim: ‘And my ride’s late. Brilliant. I hope this measly soul was worth it.’

???: ‘If you want, you can stay at ours for the night. We have a spare bed.’

Grim: ‘Why thank you, kind stranger! It’s not too often humans put up with me for long. Just let me get this stupid robe off – ‘

Grim: ‘There we go.’

Felix: ‘YOU KILLED MY DOG, WHY ARE YOU LIVING HERE?!’

Ramona: ‘Oh, he’s not sticking around for long. Just…nine months.’

Felix: ‘Oh no. What have you done?’

Probably broken my game, that’s what. But who cares! And I promise it won’t be four months before the next chapter.

Finally, here’s the spares:

So Jin isn’t dead yet! Hooray.

Harper’s moving fast.

And so is Gail! Please actually give us some second gen kids from someone other than Florence.

Oh, there we go. Bye, Jin!

Leave a comment if you can, and I’ll see you soon!

~ Viki.

Notes from Project Dawn – Chapter 15 – Florence Wins This Round

I actually kept my promise this time! Also I just posted the neighbourhood poll for the next round of kids, so please go and vote. Ramona’s life depends on it! Sort of. Or she’ll just end up in Twinbrook, which is funny for me, not so much for her.

So back to stalking strange men. I think his name is Jin. Or it is now.

Ramona: ‘That’s such a pretty name! Mine means “goddess of the moon,” and it suits me so well, don’t you think?’

Jin: ‘Uh, ma’am, I’m a linguistics professor, and no, it doesn’t. It means “wise protector,” and it’s probably Spanish – ‘

HA

Jin: ‘What’s the point in lying?! You aren’t going to impress me.’

Ramona: ‘Did I mention I have a degree in Computer Science?’

Ramona: ‘Tell me what you see. I’ll turn it into code.’

Jin: ‘So perhaps I was wrong…she may have some flickering of intelligence…’

Nope, run while you can and before I remember your real name.

Jin: ‘My apologies. It appears we got off to a bad start.’

Ramona: ‘Apology accepted.’

In the most invasive way possible.

Jin: ‘What the hell was that?! I barely know you!’

Ramona: ‘You’re breaking my heart, here. We’ve been friends for weeks!’

Jin: ‘That isn’t the point!’

Ramona: ‘Well, if you really feel that way, I can always find someone else to help me with this experiment. See that traveller guy over there? He’s pretty cute.’

TG: ‘Oh, Miss Ramona, if only you knew how I long for you…’

Jin: ‘Well wait just a second! Maybe I can reconsider…’

If only because you’re single, lonely, and close to death.

An almost kiss and shacking up in a cinema. How romantic.

Well that didn’t take long.

I finally figured out why she’s so damn attached to that formal wear; it’s her Proper trait bleeding through. December, on the other hand, opts for his workout clothes. In minus 16 degrees Celsius.

December: ‘It’s cool, no one can tell I’ve got hypothermia anyway.’

Ramona: ‘Oh great, a celebrity can see me puke in the gutter. Maybe he’ll remember me now.’

On the one hand, he has very pretty blue eyes. On the other, he’s Catrin’s boyfriend. Is it worth it?

So Christmas arrived, I threw a party, and nothing happened except family members. Ilse managed to fly under the radar, but Delphine…

Delphine: ‘Oh God – Mum, call Jin, tell him to get over here so he can come to the hospital with me, I don’t know how long either of us have!’

Ramona: ‘Wait, wait, Jin…long hair? Green t shirt?’

Delphine: ‘YES, my boyfriend and the father of this kid, which I don’t want to be born on the bathroom floor! CALL HIM!’

Ramona: ‘Oooh Christ…’

On the bright side, at least it wasn’t Darron. And I had no idea about this until now, in genuine honesty. Not until I saw that Death had spared Jin long enough to see his child via Delphine born. Apparently he doesn’t give a shit about Ramona, which is completely understandable.

Ramona: ‘Might as well try and do something useful, since she wouldn’t let me in there with her.’

Yeah, maybe Jin died on the way over. He didn’t turn up.

I forgot the kid’s name it’s actually Kenny, but we’ll check in on him when he’s a bit more interesting.

Felix grew up with no fanfare for some reason, but he rolled Neurotic, which means every time he trips over or walks into something, he’ll be down A and E thinking he broke every bone in his body. Wonderful. But on the bright side, he’s shaping up to be a pretty good artist.

He’s just sad and lonely while his older siblings head off to prom, and his mother screams in pain.

Here we go again.

Ramona: ‘Great, just the one! Now I can sleep with Darron and really piss Florence off.’

???: ‘Not quite.’

Catrin: ‘You can’t ignore your other daughter, Mother. Don’t forget I work here now.’

Yeah, Ramona straight up tried to abandon the twin at the hospital. Luckily Catrin knew what was up and brought her home.

So on the left is Lynette, unloved from birth because her mother wants to steal her daughter’s husband. She’s Brave and Disciplined, who likes disco music, aloo masala curry and the colour white.

The adorable ball of sunshine to your right is Garth, the older twin, who’s an Artistic Slob who might actually make us some money. Rap/spaghetti with veggie sauce/lilac. At least your mother loves you.

So prom was…interesting. January got a pop up saying she was going steady with someone called Elisha, which I thought was cool because I’ve never actually had a gay Sim apart from Cass. So I checked the relationship panel, and THIS is Elisha. I feel cheated.

Poor December failed miserably and a got a Face One girl called Mayra, so I ran her through the randomiser in CAS.

Eh, she’ll do for now. I’ll set December up with someone better.

Ezra, on the other hand…

Yeah, don’t let this one get away.

Even if she has no idea how to dress herself.

Ezra: ‘So Aleshia, how about making this official?’

Aleshia (I think): ‘Sure, why not? My boyfriend’s a moron anyway.’

A home wrecker, just like his mother. But seriously, look at her made over:

Yeah, we want those genetics.

I guess now Ilse’s gone, the family has moved on to other targets. Not that December cares.

But hey, at least January’s classy about it.

Wait, what are you doing? You have the synthesizer, remember?

Ramona: ‘Yes, but Ilse got me thinking. I am supposed to be a mother, after all. They need some sort of nourishment.’

Even if it’s burnt spaghetti?

Ramona: ‘It’s a work in progress.’

Three seconds later:

Ramona: ‘Oh God, Ilse, what made you think I wanted to talk to you?’

Yeah, you’re a bad mother.

Combined with December being an adorable cinnamon roll, Ezra finding the prettiest girl in Midnight Hollow, and Felix’s paintings, the boys are my favourite at the moment. Shame we aren’t doing heir polls any more.

Ezra: ‘So once that guy leaves, I’ll be able to put my revenge into place.’

Say what now?

Ezra: ‘Oh, you’ll see…’

Ezra: ‘Take that, Caleb! For daring to date my girlfriend before I even met her!’

Your aim is impressive from that far away, I’ll give you that.

Ezra: ‘But wait…why isn’t the wish being granted?’

I don’t know, the house says Winchester, that’s his surname.

Ezra: ‘Shit.’

Ezra: ‘THIS is where the rich creeper lives?! That’s not fair! I just egged an old man’s house and I can’t reach Caleb’s front door from here!’

Bless him. He tried.

Felix: ‘You know, I’m beginning to feel this room is a prison, designed specifically for me. I never leave, just paint…the acrid smell seeping into my nose…the colours swirling before my eyes…’

Yeah, that’s because you’re the only one making money. Off you go.

Kay: ‘I just realised – no more toddlers until after I’ve moved out! I can finally achieve my dreams of CEO! NO CHILDREN!’

Garth: ‘But I thought you loved me!’

Kay: ‘Only when I’m obligated to.’

Ezra: ‘Hmm, I wonder where Aleshia is. Sure is cold, too; weird place for a date.’

???: ‘Hi ~ !’

Ezra: ‘Wait, who the hell are you? Where’s my girlfriend?’

Mayra: ‘I may have stolen her phone. I made a mistake at prom – I wanted to talk to you, not your freak brother.’

Ezra: ‘Oh, because that’s really going to make me like you, isn’t it?’

Mayra: ‘So you’re okay with him talking to himself, all mopey in the corner? Last I heard, he was lamenting about soap operas.’

Ezra: ‘Uh, he’s my brother and I love him, and if you dare try anything to hurt him, you’ll regret it. I’m a genius, I have my ways.’

Mayra: ‘Whoa, okay. You’re scaring me.’

Mayra: ‘So did I ever tell you my name means “goddess of the moon – ” ‘

Go home, Mayra.

Ezra: ‘And expect a breakup text from December.’

Back home, January aged up, but Kay found the door more interesting.

Her final trait is Genius, and she turned out very pretty. Hopefully she can have a good life.

And up her portrait goes.

Lynette: ‘So did you ever use that degree?’

Ramona: ‘…I’d rather not talk about it.’

And as we come to the end, have some spares:

Damn guys, again? I think the baby’s name was Kizzy. We can go see them next chapter.

So Cody isn’t a complete loser!

Catrin finds love again! Her boyfriend was the guy watching Ramona throw up in the park; he was considered for the challenge (he had lovely blue eyes) but died at Christmas, so Catrin dodged that bullet.

Wait, you’re still alive? Hooray!

Okay, so I’m leaving it there. Please vote on the poll; I can’t do the next chapter until you do! I’ll close it once the next chapter’s done, since the all kids need to grow up to YA before Ramona can move. You can vote anywhere you like, so please take five seconds out of your day! And as usual, I’d love to hear your comments.

~ Viki.

A Quick Poll for the Next Gen!

So the next chapter will be the last in Midnight Hollow, as the final babies will be born, and I’ll be moving Ramona to a new town. And because I like to involve my readers, where would you like to see her go next? I’m doing this a little early so I can prepare things in game and story wise, so I’d love to hear your input!

Remember, we’re after interesting looking kids, so I was considering Twinbrook, which isn’t known as the home of Uglacies for nothing, but if you think somewhere else is better, post away! You can vote anywhere you like, comments on here/boolprop, or on the poll, go wild.

 

Poll will close a few days after the next chapter, so get voting; I’d love to hear from you!

Notes From Project Dawn, Chapter 14 – We Ain’t Dead Yet

So I owe everyone who is reading this a massive apology; the third year of university and working three jobs has been totally kicking my ass these last few months, but I am determined to see my legacies through. I love my Sims, I love writing them, and I love who takes the time out of their day to read them (the Laflammes were given a Liebster Award and I am so happy!), so I’m determined to update at least once a week. So without further ado, lets get on with it.

Ramona: ‘I don’t recognise this woman. Who is she? Why does she look so well rested?’

Yeah, I wish I had a three month long break. Back to work for you, that 100 is still a long way off.

Florence: ‘But why did she have to come back here, of all places? She’s trying to get her claws into my husband, and don’t think I don’t know. I’m not stupid. He tried to shock himself and her, but no such luck.’

Ramona’s got a point, though; that’s one cute kid and a ton of nice genetics…

Florence: ‘What’s she even famous for, being the town slut? All she’s doing is adding to the pile of kids she can’t afford.’

And reality ensues.

But ignorance is bliss, apparently.

Back at home, the kids have decided they don’t like living in a wreck of a house any more, so are trying to keep up with the chores. Kay’s taking care of the dog…

Harper has taken over Cody’s role as babysitter…

And Ilse is trying to leave town without anyone noticing. It’s only a few more days, you can cope.

Gail: ‘Why is our bin halfway across the lawn? And has anyone ever used that future teleporter?’

Kay: ‘Shh, this’ll be hilarious.’

Kay: ‘YOU LOST THAT GAME OF CHESS!’

Gail: ‘OH GOD, WHY?!’

Ezra grew up, gained a beanie hat and the Can’t Stand Art trait.

And apparently Ramona’s decided that if she’s waterlogged enough, she’ll drown on the water slide.

What skill is that, excessive head trauma?

Ezra: ‘With a minor in Geology.’

I was going to make a Neon Genesis Evangelion joke but it’s funny already.

And no one bats an eyelid. Ah, Midnight Hollow.

So while Ramona was out, Ilse grabbed everyone and took them out for dinner, as a nice treat before she and Harper moved out. She actually managed to get quite a few family members together; I think that’s Karen on the right.

But no good deed goes unpunished and all that…

Ramona: ‘Why would you waste money on food when we have a synthesizer that’ll make anything we want!’

Ilse: ‘Because I wanted something real, for a change, something that a person took time to cook!’

Ramona: ‘What difference does that make?!’

Ramona: ‘Stupid girl. We need money for a decent nursery, not fancy restaurant food.’

But hey, I think the painting mod is working again.

Just in time for Gail to run away as far as she can.

A brunette Ramona. Wonderful.

Ramona: ‘Go forth, little clone. Make me grandchildren and contribute to the insanity of this experiment.’

Gail: ‘Yeah, sure…’

And up her picture goes on the wall.

Ramona got a makeover too, though I’m honestly not sure why; that outfit is much too nice for this place.

Ramona: ‘I’m dressing for the life I’d like to have.’

Apparently that’s the wicked stepmother role.

I think that’s the most impressive bit of karma I’ve seen in a long time.

Ramona: ‘I guess the jetpack still needs a little work…’

Ramona: ‘And how dare you mock me?! I saw you laughing!’

Ilse: ‘But I didn’t – ‘

Ramona: ‘Just get inside!’

Kay: ‘I wish I could have gone with you, Gail. You’re more of a mother than she is.’

Field trip next chapter, I promise.

Meanwhile, Ramona’s on the hunt for Father #17.

Ramona: ‘Ugh, no. That guy was old. And dead.’

Technically, you should be too.

But hey, Ellery’s a doctor now!

Is this guy’s name Sammy? He looks like a Sammy.

Ramona: ‘Oh, don’t worry, I’ll call you whatever you like…’

Ramona: ‘Like Darron! Hey there! Still not over the electrocution, huh?’

Wow, that’s cold, even for you.

God help you if that gets back to Florence.

Harper, stop pretending that’s your mother and actually weed the garden. We’ll never get to ambrosia at this rate.

But look, more babysitters!

She looks like Florence in glasses. Her fourth trait is Born Saleswoman, so I’ll guess she’ll be trying to make some money off elixirs. December, on the other hand…

Ramona: ‘Such a beautiful, unique looking boy.’

I’ll say. He got Brooding.

Ramona: ‘Okay, everyone, I’ve called a family meeting for a very good reason – ‘

Kay: ‘Oh great.’

Ramona: ‘Now before you protest, I know some of you are still in school, but, as I’m sure you’ve noticed, money is pretty tight at the moment – ‘

That’s why you’re still sitting on milk crate furniture.

Ramona: ‘ANYWAY, so there needs to be a few changes around here, you understand?’

Kay: ‘What?! We’re already living in austerity measures as it is!’

Ezra: ‘Yeah, I don’t even have my own bed.’

January: ‘How many sisters am I sharing a room with?’

Ramona: ‘December, you understand, right?’

December: ‘I don’t know. Maybe. Is that why I didn’t get a birthday present?’

Ramona: ‘Look, the point is, we need to save money so I can actually conduct this study properly. You kids aren’t thriving in this environment, and we need to relocate. But we can’t do that without cash.’

December: ‘So…like, if we build a proper nursery, we won’t have to train the little ones any more?’

Ramona: ‘Exactly. You can all devote proper time to your friends, hobbies, and LifeTime Wishes.’

Ilse: ‘Yeah, that sounds nice.’

Ramona: ‘So essentially, use anything that’ll get you money. Painting, fishing, gardening, sell those potions cluttering up the inventory, I don’t care, just do it.’

Ramona: ‘Even you, Ilse, though you aren’t good for much.’

Kay: ‘Why won’t she have a go at January instead, she’s barely done anything this chapter.’

Ramona: ‘I know you’re not smart enough to get a real job, so get back to painting. Or do some chores.’

Ilse: ‘I – I’ll take the bins out…’

You poor thing. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you get a good makeover, a husband, and a house when you move out.

Meanwhile, this is Ramona’s next target. I have no clue what his name is, so let’s call him…

Bruno.

Ramona: ‘You know I’m the most beautiful woman in this town, right? A constellation, a meteorite, a shooting star – ‘

Bruno: ‘I’m a Cancer.’

Bruno: ‘And we don’t date Geminis!’

Ramona: ‘Tough luck. I do.’

Bystander: ‘What have I just walked into?’

B: ‘You know what, never mind. I don’t want to know.’

It’s…sort of romantic?

Bruno: ‘Guess I’ve lucked out today.’

Hopefully Ramona has too, even if she’s being judged by the townsfolk.

See what I mean?

But at least she’s persistent. We haven’t had a ghost baby yet, and I’d like one of each occult.

The lot is one hideous mess. This is why I want to build an actual house, hence the 50k budget.

Even the zombies don’t think the garden is worth destroying, that’s how bad it is.

At least she’s sticking to her word, though, even if widgets probably won’t sell for much.

I do love the school, though. Such a shame it’s a rabbit hole.

I decided to put Kay’s Born Saleswoman trait to the test, see if we could get anything decent for the potions.

Clerk: ‘We only buy a handful of your potions, all of your gems, and none of your produce. And we’re closed now.’

Kay: ‘You’re kidding me, right?’

On the bright side, we can train Mikey to hunt.

Are they really that famous, or are the stalkers just bored?

Ilse: ‘ – sigh- I’ll get out of here soon, won’t I?’

You will, I promise.’

Kay’s quite the opportunist. Hopefully we’ll make a bit more money cutting the gems than just selling them raw.

HARPER, NO.

Harper: ‘Oh c’mon, it’ll only take a minute…’

Go fishing!

Clerk: ‘You’ll get ten simoleans for all this.’

Kay: ‘I will cheerfully murder you in your sleep.’

So yeah, Ramona’s pregnant again.

In case you couldn’t tell.

Mikey: ‘It’s time to go out! And play! And walk! And hunt! And…’

January: ‘Nope, you don’t exist right now…’

Bless his little heart. You keep being excited by those fish, December.

December: ‘Maybe I can keep this one!’

January: ‘Ugh, as if. I should be going to prom, not doing this.’

Harper: ‘Now you listen to me; you are not brainless, you’re just as smart as anyone else in this house. Don’t pay attention to her.’

Ilse: ‘And how do I do that when she’s screaming at me every minute of the day?’

Harper: ‘Run away and never look back.’

Ilse: ‘While she breeds more children to ignore?’

It’s true.

Well, this one’s broken.

Ilse: ‘Serves her right.’

Nah, this is Felix. #18, Brave, Clumsy, likes Irish Green, Chinese music, and mushroom omelette. Welcome to hell.

Ramona: ‘I’m sorry, Ilse. I’ve been to harsh on you lately…’

Ilse: ‘Save it, I don’t care any more.’

I never claimed she was any good at being a mother, just a scientist.

But here he is. I don’t think he’s a clone.

And with that, Ezra ages up (again).

Not bad at all! His new trait is Schmoozer.

She’s far too attached to that dress for her own good.

And finally…it’s time.

She’s so pretty! Her final trait is Artistic.

They’re the least likely set of twins ever, but who cares. Harper got Athletic.

December: ‘When do I get to go on the wall?’

When I finally get shot of you.

And now for the spares:

At least this set of twins is doing well…

I’m going to leave it there, and I promise, I will be back next week. Comments are always appreciated!

~ Viki.

Notes From Project Dawn, Chapter 13 – Where the Sims are Undead and Rainbows Glitch Through Mountains

So I’m back! I’m well aware it’s been a stupidly long time, and I apologise. NfPD will be finished, I promise you that. Also, I really, really want to do a more story based legacy, a Differences in the Family Tree one, as well as telling the stories of NPCs ala Strangetown, Here We Come, which is fantastic and an absolute must read. I’ve been playing the Ursine’s lately, and it was so interesting, it felt like a shame not to share it. Let me know if you guys want to read them; I might start earlier than planned if there’s enough interest.

Well at least there’s good news somewhere!

According to my notes, this is the sixteenth. Good thing I found some more maternity clothes.

It’s a miracle; everything is clean for once.

Wow, look at all those beautiful pixels. Come to think of it, why aren’t there any TV dinners any more? They should be a staple food for these kids.

I’m not sure who this is, so assume it’s an aged paparazzi with nothing better to do.

Oh, so now the aliens appear. Where were they when I was trying to knock Harvey up back in Gen 8? Damn game.

That’s no good, Ramona. You’ll just end up kidnapped and used as a test subject, like Bella Goth.

Ramona: ‘No different to now, really.’

Oh my God, Ilse’s face. Poor baby.

Harper: ‘I don’t know who did this to you, but I will kill them. Just say the word.’

Bonehilda: ‘Ditto.’

Harper: ‘I really hope you’re so angry just because you’ve got triplets in there. And not because the house is a mess.’

That or she’s somehow equated anger to skilling.

Paparazzi: ‘This could be sold for millions; my first big break! CHILD DOES HOMEWORK!’

Ilse: ‘I get enough of this at home, thanks.’

 

Oh God. Please don’t tell me that’s Darron.

I have a horrible feeling that it is.

Florence: ‘Yeah, well, if that bitch comes after my husband, I’ll fight her. Hat and all.’

I don’t doubt you.

Ramona: ‘Oh hey, time for a quick diversion tactic.’

 
Ramona: ‘Oh come on, look at him! Can you blame me?’

Florence: ‘Dammit, Mother, yes I can. Get out of here!’

Darron: ‘Don’t glare at me, I wasn’t going to do anything!’

Florence: ‘You let her in here, that was enough!’

Florence: ‘God, I think I’m going to throw up. My mother and my husband…’

Florence: ‘Sod this. I’m done for today.’

Darron: ‘Don’t worry, babe. We have a nicer house, no way am I living in that hideous pink thing.’

So there may be hope yet.

Ramona: ‘…I don’t think I’m going to make it to the hospital; this one’s coming quickly, and there aren’t any cabs around. Well, it’ll do. Nice and quiet, roomy too…’

Ramona: ‘On the other hand, they actually have science at the hospital. My one true love…all those sparkling clean lab beakers and sterile equipment…’

Ramona: ‘Yeah, I’m out.’

That painting is judging you so hard right now.

Ramona: ‘La di da da da…’

Ramona: ‘No need to rush…’

Ramona: ‘Just going for a nice drive to the hospital, in the late stages of labour, after trying it on with my daughter’s husband…’

At least she’s well co-ordinated.

Ramona: ‘I really should get this umbrella fixed – need to put it somewhere it won’t drip, as well.’

So are you just forgetting about the baby, or…?

Oh, there we go.

It’s a boy!

And no, this isn’t a mistakenly grabbed photo of Angel.

He’s such a little clone. Our 16th is Ezra Mallon, who is a genius that loves outdoors, and favourites of yellow/country music/cobbler.

In other news, Kay has lost it. Must be the haircut, I really need some CC hair.

She’s awfully cute, though.

Poor Ilse. With all the pale lighting in Moonlight Hollow, she just blends in.

Ilse: ‘Hey! Mermaid, not ghost. Get it right.’

Kay takes after me already; eyesight so bad, she needs glasses from three feet away.

Must be Midnight Hollow, where all the Sims look undead and rainbows glitch through mountains.

Surprisingly, a lot of the kids like fishing, so I packed them off with Ilse for some money making sibling bonding. She looks like such a proud big sister.

December: ‘So…you going to read me a story?’

That isn’t your bed.

December: ‘Or my house.’

Nice try, Harper, but you’re a little young for that.

Ramona: ‘What day is it? What year? What town are we in?’

Sleep deprivation can do that to a girl. And excessive childbirth, I guess.

Gail: ‘And here’s my rebellious phase. Go me; Mum’s going to flip.’

Actually, I quite like it. It suits you.

Lighting mod~! Ilse fits into Midnight Hollow perfectly.

Gail is basically a mother to her little sisters, and she does a damn sight better job of it than Ramona, even if January’s still wearing her hat. At least it’s the right bed.

See? She’s such a bad mother, she can’t even provide a ceiling for her kids.

Gail: ‘Why do you think Jan’s wearing the hat? She’s a smart kid. Sweet girl: just wish Mum was around to see it.’

Kay could probably use her attention, too. She’s more than a bit loopy.

The annual book club and a kid trying to strangle herself. Welcome to Midnight Hollow.

Cody: ‘So get this: I’ve created a rocket ship, that’ll get us to the moon. We can harvest it for space rocks and minerals and…’

Mikey: ‘Didn’t we pass the tent he was living in on a walk the other day, Gail?’

Gail: ‘Yes. Yes we did.’

So basically: gorgeous lighting shots, and Cody’s still a loser.

But at least I have a decent photo of him this time.

Upon pondering, I can only conclude this must be Florence’s son? I have no idea what his name is, though.

And so January ages up alone. In the bathroom. Classy.

Continuing the family tradition of glitching in an ugly outfit.

Her new one, on the other hand, is much prettier.

Still yellow eyes, but not a clone! Success!

Meanwhile, in Sunset Valley…

Two red-haired twins, raising their alien half sister, while their mother tries to become a criminal mastermind. Such is the woes of the Ursine family, whose story I really hope I can tell.

That’s all for now; please leave a comment after the tone.

~ Viki.

Photos, 16

Spain!

(also the new tagging/category system is beautiful! :D)