The Melapis Immortal Dynasty (new -- October 6)

[Joria]

Awwww....I approve too.  I loved the little story.  So sad about Chess.  She will be missed even if we didn't see much of her.

[MarianT]

Chapter 4 – Castle Oakenstead

Figuring out what to feed all of us is driving Grandma crazy. Dad and Marlene need to stick to 0 calorie fish tacos, and Hudson and Euchre probably should, too, but Canasta and I are beginning to look like skeletons. So we're being encouraged to eat ice cream – mint chocolate chip with whipped cream for Canasta.



She's decided that the only way I can get over my nervousness over her forays into space is for me to take a trip myself. But before that, she wanted to expand the fuel tanks.



The day came when I took off. I have to admit, I had a great time. I found a colony of tiny aliens on the back of the toilet on a moon where I landed. They made me their god, and I helped them with irrigation and finding a new land (the bathtub). Of course, it's not all tiny aliens and fluffy bunnies, but I do feel better about Canasta going off into the unknown.



Chess was outside to see me off. She's started coming around and even ate breakfast with us the other day.



One day Marlene was told to put her affairs in order. I insisted that she come out to the hot tub with me. "Do you remember our first time?" I asked.



"You said that my hairdo reminded you of a battery," she said with a giggle. We didn't do more than kiss and cuddle – at our age, there's a good possibility that we might both drown.



We'd told Euchre that when she finished her music lessons and made her drawings, we'd get her a dollhouse.



After playing for a while, she went to the computer and started writing.



CASTLE OAKENSTEAD

by Euchre Melapis

One day, Princess Leia decided to go riding on her palomino, R2D2.



Euchre stopped writing at that point and went to play her violin for a while. Marlene went into the nursery and... well, I'll let Euchre continue her story.

Suddenly an evil troll came up to the castle and destroyed it.



Princess Leia was away from the castle, but she turned her horse around and rode swiftly towards the troll. "You evil, evil troll!" she shouted. "Prepare to die!"



And the troll died.

 The End.



We were all pretty sad about Marlene's passing, but Euchre was particularly upset.



Canasta repaired the dollhouse for her.



She and Hudson tried to get Euchre to talk about her feelings, but she was more interested in putting the furniture back.



Hudson tried playing with her, which cheered her up for a little while.



But she continued to be sad.



"I think she's more than just sad," said Grandma. "Sad doesn't gather up all the dirty dishes. That's what guilty does. Someone needs to talk to her."



I peeked in the nursery. She was sobbing into her dragon – not a good sign.



That evening, I talked to her. "What's the matter, sport?" I asked her. "Do you miss your grandmother?"



Her lower lip began to quiver. "Yeah," she said. "And I think it's my fault she died. I was mad when she wrecked my dollhouse so I pretended that Princess Leia shot her."

"Honey, it's not your fault," I said. "It was her time to die – she'd received the last notice from the Grim Reaper several hours beforehand."

"But I don't understand why she broke my dollhouse," said Euchre.

"Well, that's probably because her brain was starting to deteriorate," I said. "You know how ghosts often break things? Well, sometimes people start acting like ghosts just before they die. Your grandmother loved you very much. If she'd been her normal self, she wouldn't have broken your castle, you know that."

"Yeah," said Euchre, brightening up.

"Take a picture?" I said.

"Angee!" we both shouted.

[Joria]

Awww poor Eucre.  She really felt like she had killed her grandma.  Kids are so intense.

[Playalot]

I was laughing along with the story and then...!!! Poor Eucre, I feel bad too!

[MarianT]

I knew that Marlene had the Hates Children trait and that one of the things they do is destroy dollhouses, but I waited until she got her final notice before I bought the dollhouse. I figured she wouldn't have time to do any damage. I was almost as surprised as Euchre when I turned the camera around and saw her wrecking the thing. And then she died right afterwards. Sometimes you don't have to make up events -- they just happen. The crying on the stuffed animal's shoulder was something I'd never seen before. And I think she wiped her nose on its paw, but that happened too quickly for me to be sure.

[MarianT]

Chapter 5 – Immortals

One thing I really hate is writing about myself. I can write about anything else; I even wrote a whole book while I was still a child. And I guess it was sort of about me – the heroine, Princess Leia, was like what I wanted to be. She could even ride a horse, something that might as well be a mythical creature as far as I'm concerned.



The other thing I hate is people coming up to me and saying "Why so blue?" I'm blue for the same reason that you're pink or brown or beige – genetics. My dad came from Sixam, and he's really blue, but you can't tell because he's in disguise. His name is Hudson Helton, and he had a birthday the other day.



My mom threw a party for him. Here she is, toasting him with Grandad Pinochle.



Throwing a great party is one of her requirements for becoming an Immortal. That's what we all are or will be – all except Dad. Apparently, it's supposed to be some consolation to him that I'll be an Immortal. I haven't asked him yet. Anyway, he's been helping out by catching angelfish. That's one of the ingredients in ambrosia, the eating of which preserves your life. Here's our store of ingredients – angelfish, death flowers, and potions of youth.



Soon after Dad's birthday, Mom had one. She's not an Immortal yet. She still has a lot to do – reach the top of the Astronaut career, achieve her aspirations to be a Nerd Brain and a Renaissance Sim, and max three skills, not to mention making six good friends and throwing a couple more parties.



And I have to do even more than that. Incidentally, another thing I hate is the process of growing up. I got all stretched and skinny, and then a lot of weight was slammed on to me.



But picking out my hairstyle and make-up and wardrobe was kind of fun. I gave myself alien markings around the eyebrows. I was kind of disappointed that I didn't inherit Dad's blue hair, but that's the way it goes. And who knows where my big nose came from. Grandad Pinochle says it'll be a nose for news when I become a journalist.



I really like Grandad Pinochle. He's creatively gifted, like me. He's a great artist – here's the portrait he painted of Mom. After my next birthday, he'll do one of me to hang in our museum.



He's been helping me with homework, too. One of the things I have to do as a teen is to make an A at school so I can start my job at level 3.



The other thing I have to do is write a bunch of books and become a best-selling author. Although we have computers at home, I sometimes go to the library to write. I have a romantic nature and am looking for my soulmate. Unfortunately, there don't seem to be any boys my age in Willow Creek. Aside from two children, the youngest man I've met has been the same age as my parents.



I've already written my first book (my second, if you count Castle Oakenstead). Its title is When Elders Die, a book for children to explain that it's not always easy. I had a traumatic experience as a child when I saw my grandmother die. Once Grandad Cribbage explained that she destroyed my dollhouse because she was acting like a ghost before actually becoming a ghost, I was able to put the experience in perspective. Now that she's a ghost she's destroyed the dollhouse a few more times – we finally put it in storage.



Everything I know about becoming an Immortal, I've learned from Grandma. Even though Mom will someday be Grandma Canasta to my descendants, and I'll be Grandma Euchre, there's only one Grandma – she's our founder. I don't know whether she came from Sixam, but she has green skin.



Mom is on a wellness kick. Because she's an astronaut, she has to stay in shape. She exercises a lot, but she does yoga, too. Anyway, she pointed out that since his birthday, Dad's been getting a little pudgy. So he's doing yoga now.



And I still have some baby fat, so I'm doing it too – or trying. I've never seen a tree hop around on one foot.



She helped the grandparents set up a meditation area down in the garden. It's really nice, with a fountain in front of the wall.



Grandma has gotten to be quite good at levitating, rising gracefully into the air. Grandad Pinochle is still a little awkward.



Well, that's it for now. Time for more homework.

[Roxanne07]

Happy birthday, Euchre! Her nose doesn't look at all big to me. She's an adorable heir. 

[Playalot]

Euchre's eyes are stunning. Nice to have her perspective on the family and her goals too.

[MarianT]

Chapter 6 – Great-Uncle Clue

I thought I was going to write about Mom's adventures in outer space. She was a participant in an alien quiz show, which was kind of cool. She had to put a round ball in a round hole (duh) and wear a hat (double duh), but then she was smart enough not to sit on a chair that disappeared, so they gave her a space rock – 4 down, 6 to go.



Now that I'm a teen, I can learn how to cook, starting with tofu dogs.



I don't know whether my yoga is improving. It's more the case that I'm learning new poses, which I still do badly.





I can use the hot tub now, too. Grandad Cribbage has managed to fix it so it won't break any more. That's great because it could look really skanky sometimes.



And I invited over a guy I met at school. Problem 1 – he'd graduated by the time I invited him. Problem 2 – he's not really my type, being a perfectionist. I think a perfectionist would go crazy in our household.



And now for the cool story – Grandad Pinochle got abducted!



He told us all about it when he returned – what he could remember, which wasn't much, except that he'd seen this bright light in the sky, brighter than the moon even. But he returned to earth without any ill effects.



Or so we thought. A couple of days later Grandma caught sight of him in profile and warned him that he'd better lay off the ice cream.



Mom felt his tummy and said she was pretty sure he was going to have twins.



Finally, one night he decided he'd better go to the hospital. Grandma went with him just to make sure nothing went wrong. The night receptionist was kind of groggy and told him it would be better if he came back in the middle of the day. Grandad Pinochle said he was having the baby now, not later.



The doctor was Cullen Goth, the half-brother of Grandad Pinochle's wife, which would make him my great-great uncle, I think. Anyway, he was kind of groggy, too. It was a good thing Grandma was there because she was able to point out to him that he was removing Grandad Pinochle's heart rather than the baby.



So they straightened everything out and Great-Uncle Clue was born.



Mom got to cuddle him when they brought him home.



And I got to cuddle him, too. I really wanted to keep him because he was so cute.



But Grandma said if we did that, I wouldn't be able to have any children until Dad died. Ugh, that would be horrid. So they sent him back to his mother on Sixam.



She took a picture of Clue and of Grandad Pinochle holding him. The pictures and his birth certificate are on her wall in the Museum. They won't count towards our monetary total, but they're there for our memories.



Bye-bye, Great-Uncle Clue!

[Playalot]

Oh poor Pinochle! Nice touch putting the photos in the museum for memories. It's a shame that there is often just no room for these wee alien nooboos.

[MarianT]

Yes, I want to keep all of them!

[Roxanne07]

Oh, It's a shame great-uncle Clue had to leave. The aliens' grown-up form is not all that lovely, but as nooboos I think they're adorable! It's nice the family has something to remember him by.   

[Joria]

So back to Sixam for Clue.  I think it's horrible that we have to send family back, especially as babies.  I can't imagine parting with one of mine.

[MarianT]

Chapter 7 – A Party and a Disappointment

Mom decided to make her last party a spooky party. Grandad Pinochle started carving a pumpkin for it.



He made a cat.



Then Grandad Cribbage took over. Grandad Pinochle is a great painter, but Grandad C has had more experience with wood carving. He started working on a green pumpkin.



Meanwhile Grandma made some spooky cookies and set out a candy bowl.



Grandad Pinochle thought he would sneak some candy after carving his pumpkin, but he got a shock.



Mom tried to sneak some, too. I'm avoiding candy because it's not good for my figure.



Grandad Cribbage carved some more pumpkins and set them out with some other decorations.



Then we all took naps until it was time for the party. The goals for the party were pretty easy to complete.  I danced a bit and met one of them. I think it's type-casting that I was given a zombie schoolgirl outfit.



Then I went outside and looked at the pumpkins. That satisfied another. Grandad Cribbage set them up so that the scared pumpkin was looking at the wicked one and the owl and the pussycat were together.



Grandma got a witch costume. It's just right for her persona, but she doesn't like the colors.



Mom looked very pretty as Princess Leia. That's Dad as the Llamacorn and Great-Uncle Kelly behind him. Great-Uncles Kelly and Carlton are the only people living in Willow Creek besides us. There's no one in Oasis Springs.



Just before the party ended, Grandma brought out a zombie cake with birthday candles for me. It was after midnight, so I could officially become a young adult. Yay!



Once all the guests left, we decided to set up costumes for ourselves, so we won't be at the mercy of the grab bag anymore.

Grandma chose a different witch's costume, one that wouldn't clash with her hair and skin.



Grandad Pinochle decided he was a bit too fluffy to appear as a centurion, so he dressed as a panda.



Grandad Cribbage pulled out some of his work clothes to come as a zombie scientist.



Mom didn't want to be an astronaut so she'll be a fairy.



Dad was going to come as himself – his real self – but we talked him into appearing as Darth Vader instead.



And as for me – well, you'll just have to wait until the next costume party.

I was still wide awake after the party. I got a job as a freelance article writer, but that wouldn't start for a few more days. I decided to go to Sixam and look for my soulmate.

The scenery was incredible – tiny lavender flowers...



...a floating rock...



...and pale blue lava.



But the place seemed almost deserted. Finally, I met someone – an elderly woman named Brittni. She told me that only elderly women live on Sixam now. "But, what about Great-Uncle Clue?" I asked. She thought he might have gone off in a spaceship with the others. "What others?" I asked. The young men and women, she told me. That was a shock and a disappointment. I'd been prepared to meet my soulmate on Sixam – a nice young alien with green skin (which would please Grandma). And apparently there weren't any.



Back home, Mom went with me to the park. I met one teenager and some more elderly woman. The only young man I know is Morgan Magee, and he has a mean streak. I suppose I could marry him for the sake of the dynasty, but I don't think he'll ever be my soulmate.



I don't know what I'm going to do.

[Joria]

Oh no!  No more people around?  How is she going to find a spouse?  I LOVE the costumes and Halloween stuff.  Is that all cc?