The Melapis Immortal Dynasty (new -- October 6)

[Playalot]

Ah, yeah, the culling hurts. It looked from your story that everyone was still with you. I've lost all my spouses from the family tree now and have just empty tombstones. Least I have their portraits this time around, that helps.

[Joria]

What a cutie she is.  Love that hair style.  I'm too chicken to have ghosts around.  Not afraid of ghosts, just get too sad when they get culled.

[Nettlejuice]

Canasta is a cutie, looks like she has a good combination of her parents genes.

[MarianT]

Chapter 4 – Until We Meet Again

Work has been interesting lately. I managed to transform an ugly empty barrel into a vase of tulips.



I found out that mushrooms can be used to make ghost goo.



One thing I don't understand is why I still have problems with synthetic food, but something more complex – like ghost goo – turns out right the first time.



My favorite thing, though, has been calibrating the wormhole generator. I'm really looking forward to visiting Sixam.



At the end of several days of work, I've been promoted to Laboratory Leader. Ta-da!!



And that was the enjoyable part of this chapter. Once Mom received her notice from Grim, she decided to start having more fun. She's always loved reading, and this time she decided to finish her book despite the fact that her clumsy son was trying to tell her he loved her.



Dancing was also something she never got enough of.



Chatting with Canasta was high on her list of priorities, too.



And she and Dad had to take one last selfie together.



One evening I came home from work to discover that we had an unwelcome visitor. Everyone was upset.



And when I say everyone, I'm including Canasta.



I pulled her into the bedroom so that she wouldn't see her grandmother disappear into an urn.



"I don't like that man without a face," she said firmly. "I don't ever want to see him again. I want him to go away right now!"

It wasn't the time to tell her that eventually she would see him again. I just gave her a hug and comforted her as best I could.



Ever since we lost Mom, I've been doing some thinking. (Fishing is good for that, especially when you don't catch anything.)



I definitely haven't been spending enough time with Marlene. I've been working on fishing, logic, and handiness, and trying to complete a collection of crystals or metals. And we hardly see each other because she leaves for work before I get home. I told her that things were going to change.



But I'm not sure that dancing with her was quite what she wanted me to do.



This morning when I was having breakfast, Uncle Risk showed up to talk to me.

"Your mom's doing fine," he said. "She's almost finished with her orientation, and then she can come and visit."



I wanted him to tell me more, but he disappeared. It's nice to think that Mom won't be confined to the cemetery anymore, even if it is the prettiest place on the lot.



Kacie Caliente
Daughter of Nina Caliente and J Huntington III
Wife to Pinochle Melapis
Mother of Cribbage and Chess Melapis
Grandmother of Canasta Melapis

[Playalot]

Oh I hate that last few days where you desperately want your elder sim to have family time with everyone. RIP Kacie.

[Tixxis]

It's horrible to watch Sims grieve. Especially, the young ones, who only just come to understand the big divide between life and death.
Hopefully Kacie will re-appear soon to reassure Canasta.

[MarianT]

It is sad watching them grieve, but I have to say I prefer that to what we had a few months ago, when a sim had to be right next to the one dying in order to be affected by the death.

[Nettlejuice]

Ah, rest is peace Kacie =( Poor Canasta, she seemed the most affected by the death.

[Magpie2012]

Can't believe it's taken me this long to find this story 

Loving your writing as always, and this is definitely going to be one of my favourite stories, I can see!

[MarianT]

Chapter 5 – Birthdays and Fishing Holes

As Uncle Risk predicted, Mom soon joined us. In characteristic fashion, she pointed out to me that I'd left a mess on the floor when I repaired the computer.



But she flirted a bit with Dad, which made him happy.



The first birthday was mine. I blew out the candles as soon as I came home from work.



Chess followed.



One thing I like about fishing is that I get a chance to see some really pretty places. If I just cross the street from our house, I get a good view of the lighthouse and the building on the pier.



On the weekend, I took Canasta to the park in Oasis Springs. I fished a couple of places there...



...but didn't catch any new type of fish.



Canasta finished up her Rambunctious Scamp requirement while I was fishing.



She started working on Social Butterfly next. I'm not sure what Dad told her to make her look so solemn. Perhaps he was explaining the dynasty requirements.



One place that's supposed to be good for fishing is Sylvan Glade. I went by myself, knowing that if I took Marlene, we'd find other things to do.



While I was there, I had the feeling that someone or something was watching me. Whoever it was, though, didn't put any fish in the pond that I didn't already have.



The last place I went was special. As I approached, I had the feeling that I was being watched again.



If I hadn't become so handy by repairing things, I might have had trouble removing the barrier.



Once inside, it was worth the effort. In addition to being beautiful, the fish pond yielded a wolf eel and a batfish.



The next birthday was Canasta's. As per her request, the cake was strawberry, with pink icing. (Marlene   had a birthday, too, but didn't want her picture taken – something about a mid-life crisis.)



She wants to become an astronaut, so she picked up the genius trait and chose "Nerd Brain" as her aspiration. Canasta started working on her homework right away. Chess was helping her, but it soon turned into a family gathering.



Logic is a skill that we're both working on, so I joined her the next morning for a game of chess.



She had to leave for school before we finished our game.



As you can see, pink is still her favorite color. Here is Canasta in her formal wear.

[Nettlejuice]

Canasta is gorgeous, pink is a great colour for her. Love the family gathering to help with her homework. Congrats to Cribbage on unlocking the Forgotten Grotto, beautiful shots of it too.

[Tixxis]

Oh! I haven't found that lighthouse and the building on the pier yet. It's a gorgeous view.

[MarianT]

@Tixxis, It's across the street from the Oakenstead lot, the Immortal Dynasty lot in Willow Creek.

[hazysmith]

I love Sylvan Glade/Forgotten Grotto, its so eerie. Canasta is gorgeous, of course. The pink clothes make her skin glow!

[Alarianna]

Canasta is beautiful. Nothing better than some quality time at the chess table in the morning, wisdom sharing