Author Topic: The Ghosts of Twinbrook (Life States Dynasty)  (Read 108429 times)

Offline Snufflesxx

  • Sherlockian
  • Watcher
  • ******
  • Posts: 1892
  • Every puzzle has an answer
Re: The Ghosts of Twinbrook (updated 3 March)
« Reply #195 on: March 04, 2013, 02:42:37 AM »
Just trying to remember who everyone is! So many unique characters!

I'm so pleased that everyone got their happy ending  :)

(weirdly, Jan looks exactly like a Sim in my Immortal Dynasty - she even has that dress and hairstyle... in the same colour... spooky!)
** My Stories **

"I'm not a psychopath, I'm a high-functioning sociopath. Do your research." - Sherlock

Offline hazelnut

  • Watcher
  • ******
  • Posts: 1777
Re: The Ghosts of Twinbrook (updated 3 March)
« Reply #196 on: March 04, 2013, 01:57:17 PM »
Thanks, everyone.  There's still more to come.  (The epilogue is getting a little out of hand.)

Just trying to remember who everyone is! So many unique characters!

Does this help? :)



(weirdly, Jan looks exactly like a Sim in my Immortal Dynasty - she even has that dress and hairstyle... in the same colour... spooky!)

That is odd.  Does yours have violet eyes as well?  Jan always had plaits in her first life but I thought she deserved something prettier this time around - and the flowers seemed right for a beach wedding.



Registered members do not see ads on this Forum. Register here.

Offline Snufflesxx

  • Sherlockian
  • Watcher
  • ******
  • Posts: 1892
  • Every puzzle has an answer
Re: The Ghosts of Twinbrook (updated 3 March)
« Reply #197 on: March 04, 2013, 04:58:28 PM »
That's a pretty awesome family tree. I forgot the some generations had quite a few kids!

My Sim doesn't have violet eyes but she does have (from what I can see on the pictures) a very  similar face, that I've noticed in quite a few non-original townies (that's assuming that she isn't an original townie or offspring of any original townies, right?)
** My Stories **

"I'm not a psychopath, I'm a high-functioning sociopath. Do your research." - Sherlock

Offline hazelnut

  • Watcher
  • ******
  • Posts: 1777
Re: The Ghosts of Twinbrook (updated 3 March)
« Reply #198 on: March 04, 2013, 05:42:57 PM »
No, she's not an original townie.  She had parents but I'm not sure when they moved into town.  The first I knew of them was when she appeared in the family tree as Hal's fiancée, shortly after he moved out.

Offline hazelnut

  • Watcher
  • ******
  • Posts: 1777
Re: The Ghosts of Twinbrook
« Reply #199 on: March 07, 2013, 03:16:13 PM »
More House Pictures

I’ve put the house up on the Swap Shop, which gives me an excuse to post more pictures :).  There are two versions there – one without a basement and one with the first basement level (the two lower basements were the car parking space and the mausoleum).


The house seen from the centre of town
(One morning, the current heir was visiting the library and I happened to notice that you could see the house in the distance.)


Ground floor plan


First floor plan


The first basement level


The completed mausoleum


Ana’s room


Will’s room, in the octagonal tower


Emily’s room




Izzy’s room


Joe’s room


Kitchen




Living room




Fully-furnished study


Child’s bedroom (originally Vicky’s room)


Nursery


Study at the top of the square tower – intended for the writer but Izzy preferred the main study.


Next chapter

Offline Snufflesxx

  • Sherlockian
  • Watcher
  • ******
  • Posts: 1892
  • Every puzzle has an answer
Re: The Ghosts of Twinbrook (updated 3 March)
« Reply #200 on: March 07, 2013, 04:09:58 PM »
What a beautiful house! I'll be downloading for sure!
** My Stories **

"I'm not a psychopath, I'm a high-functioning sociopath. Do your research." - Sherlock




Registered members do not see ads on this Forum. Register here.

Offline hazelnut

  • Watcher
  • ******
  • Posts: 1777
Re: The Ghosts of Twinbrook
« Reply #202 on: March 10, 2013, 06:36:37 PM »
Epilogue, Part 4: Living in the Past - Will

After a relaxing, sun-soaked break, Chris and Will flew home to flaunt their tropical tans.  Ed decided to stay in Sunlit Tides.  He swore blind that he was going to retire and take it easy but Chris was privately convinced that he wanted to do something about the criminals who seemed to be running the island.



Ever since the day when Fluffs had joined the household, Louisa had been curious about something.



Emily had said that her sisters had also had dolls that became imaginary friends, while her own Patches remained just a toy.  Until then, Lou had thought that Gran Emily was an only child like herself.  Why had she never mentioned her sisters before?  Now that Grandpa Will was back from his holiday, Louisa wheedled the story out of him.



“Wow!  That’s so cool!  I mean, that’s awful!  They just disappeared without a trace?”
“Yes.  Emily told me some time ago that Leonora had been working at that dodgy warehouse at the other side of town.  I think she may have got involved in something illegal and been… silenced.



“The last time we saw them was when they came over to visit and Emily painted their portraits.”
“Well… what if you went back to rescue them?”
“Back?”
“Yes, back.  As in, back in time.  I know it sounds silly but I built a time machine.  Look!



“Dad, didn’t Mum make one as well?”
“Yes – but she only used it once, before you were born. She said the controls got really heavy once it started moving through time and she couldn’t stop it.  She was trying to find out about the accident that killed her and her sister but ended up centuries in the past.  She always talked about improving the design but never got around to it...



"Great-Grandpa, if you’re desperate enough to try this, it might be a good idea to ask your mother for help.  Some serious weight training could be useful.  I have some ideas about improving the leverage on the controls but the stronger you are, the better.”



“Lou, I think it’s time to bring Mum back – and I was planning a surprise for her.  In fact, two surprises.  They could be very useful for this scheme of yours.”



Joe and the four inventors worked long hours down in the basement.



Eventually, they told Will that the machine was ready.  Emily wanted to go with him but he insisted on taking the risk alone.  He wanted to know that at least one of his daughters was safe.



Even with the improved controls and his new muscles, Will struggled to hold the machine on course.  Finally, it juddered to a halt.  Where – when – was he?





“Dad!  We weren’t expecting a visit so soon!  And you’re not a ghost any more!  What’s happened?”
“It’s a long story – but it can wait.”



“Both of you, hurry up, please.  I don’t want this thing to go home without us!”






Juan and Lacy had invented a homing device that would take the time machine back to its starting point automatically, so the return journey was relatively easy – just as well, given Will’s state of mental and physical exhaustion.

Emily ran down to the basement to welcome them back.  Two plates of ambrosia and a bottle of Izzy’s finest nectar were waiting in the dining room.



After a night of explanations and hugs, they all drove to the science lab.






Offline hazelnut

  • Watcher
  • ******
  • Posts: 1777
Re: The Ghosts of Twinbrook
« Reply #203 on: March 10, 2013, 06:37:09 PM »
Living in the Past - Izzy

Izzy was also determined to right past wrongs – but first she had a promise to keep.

"Bob-Andy, I didn’t forget… and now it’s time."



“I thought I should talk to you first.  It might be a little awkward to explain all of this to Mary.
“I was going to buy her old house for you – but friends of mine are living there now.  In fact, their son is our granddaughter’s boyfriend.  So I had another idea.  You remember my sister Georgie?  She’s living in Appaloosa Plains now and she keeps moaning about the lack of decent restaurants.  She says there’s a café and a steak house but nowhere to get proper food.  You said that you and Mary always dreamed of owning your own bistro.  Why not open one there?”

Izzy left him to think over the idea and went back into the lab to revive the rest of the family.



Then they all went back home for ambrosia, youth potion and several hours’ sleep.

Lincoln Baker woke up to find an oddly dressed purple-haired girl watching him.  Things progressed rapidly from there.



So the Bakers (plus one) moved to Appaloosa Plains…



…and Georgie found somewhere that served her favourite stir-fry.





With her obligations to Bob-Andy discharged, Izzy was at last free to pursue her own dream.  She had never forgotten Benjamin Ezell, her high-school sweetheart.



She’d met him from time to time after she reluctantly dumped him and he’d always been so sweet and so interested in her.  She’d even bumped into him at the library when she was pregnant with the twins.



When she passed him on her way to return her book to the shelf, she couldn’t help glancing to see what he was reading.  It was a pregnancy book!  Even when she was having another man’s babies, he was still concerned for her.  Even though she knew it was probably wrong, she’d invited him back to the house and they’d talked for hours.  Why was she bound to these stupid rules?



Later, she'd put that little indulgence down to pregnancy hormones and had tried to keep her distance but she was aware that Ben was staying in touch with the family.  Joe had told her about the man who’d had a long chat with him at the bistro the night after he graduated and had encouraged him to work hard and achieve his goals.



Then, on the day of Joe and Macy’s wedding, Izzy happened to glance at the obituaries in the Twinbrook Tribune.  Ben had died the previous day.  For a while she was far too busy being the mother of the groom, and then the grieving not-exactly-widow, to do anything else but a few days later she managed to slip away to the cemetery and collect Ben's urn.



And now, after so many years, she could finally bring him back.





Final chapter

Offline RainBeau

  • Global Moderator
  • Watcher
  • ******
  • Posts: 3514
  • Formerly known as ombradellarosa <3
Re: The Ghosts of Twinbrook (updated 10 March)
« Reply #204 on: March 11, 2013, 12:03:18 PM »
Awww, I'm glad that turned out well for everyone involved. Happy endings are my favourite.
Please read and follow the Forum Rules.

   
By samoht04

Offline hazelnut

  • Watcher
  • ******
  • Posts: 1777
Re: The Ghosts of Twinbrook (updated 10 March)
« Reply #205 on: March 12, 2013, 01:54:19 PM »
Thank you.

It's odd, Izzy really was completely smitten with Ben.  She kept rolling romantic wishes about him well into adulthood - and he really was reading Baby Incoming at the library that day :).

Will and Tina were right back to their old form as soon as she was revived.  They've hardly let go of each other since.  I had so many sweet screenshots to choose from.

Offline Rhoxi

  • of the Dojos
  • Watcher
  • ******
  • Posts: 2252
Re: The Ghosts of Twinbrook (updated 10 March)
« Reply #206 on: March 12, 2013, 05:50:25 PM »

Aw, how sweet! It's nice that Izzy finally gets to enjoy love. And the house, by the way, is just fantastic! I love the floor plan, especially the staircase in the center with two in the center going up and two on either side going down. I'm gonna have to use that sometime, because I always struggle with where to put stairs!

Offline hazelnut

  • Watcher
  • ******
  • Posts: 1777
Re: The Ghosts of Twinbrook (updated 10 March)
« Reply #207 on: March 12, 2013, 06:38:00 PM »
Thank you.  I love your dojo, by the way :).

That's one of my favourite ways of doing stairs in fairly grand houses - sometimes with a triple-width central flight if I'm going really over the top  :P.  In the original house there are also plain stone stairs directly under the central flight, leading down to the second basement (and then a spiral staircase down to the mausoleum level).

Offline hazelnut

  • Watcher
  • ******
  • Posts: 1777
Re: The Ghosts of Twinbrook
« Reply #208 on: March 20, 2013, 04:30:57 PM »
Epilogue, Part 5: Changing Lives

With her new fiancé duly revived and rejuvenated and now catching up on his sleep, Izzy went in search of another significant male in her life.  Marmaduke was officially Emily’s cat, of course, but he’d chosen Vicky as his person while he was still a kitten.  After she moved out, Izzy became his BFF.  Now she called him over and placed a plate of ambrosia in his favourite spot, the patch of weeds by the pond where he’d so often lain in wait for prey.





Will had decided to move his family out of Twinbrook.  No matter how many times Lee the evil genius pointed out that his ‘rescue’ had probably caused their disappearance in the first place, he was still convinced that something more sinister than a temporal paradox had been going on.  Even though several generations had passed since Lee and Kate had vanished, he felt it would be better to start afresh in a new town.



Emily joined her parents and sisters for their first few weeks in Sunset Valley, ‘helping them to settle in’ but really just enjoying being with her reunited family.



Chris had offered Steward another chance at life but he’d refused.



“Your mother’s potions again, Christa?  No, thank you very much.  I turned them down once before and I see no reason to change my mind.  There is altogether too much drama in this house.  I just want peace and quiet.”

And so, at his own request, she’d replaced his tombstone in the cemetery.

Now that Fluffs and her three sons were all starting new lives elsewhere, Chris felt it was time to think about her own future.  She might no longer be a ghost but she certainly had unfinished business…



…and when she’d finally won the tournament, there were plenty of tombs just begging to be explored by someone with her talents.



“Mum, I’m worried about Sam.  You know how self-conscious he is about his skin colour. You weren’t there when we all ate the ambrosia but I don’t think I’ll ever forget his expression when he first saw how green he was.



“Then, yesterday, he walked in when me and Tavares were talking about moving and I could see he hated the idea.  I think he’s worried about getting teased at his new school.  The people here are sort of used to the odd Gooles but in a new town…”
“Well, you could come with us to Hidden Springs.  I hear that green skin is nothing remarkable there.  I’d love it if we could all live there together.”
“But Mum, I really want to go to Starlight Shores.  From what Uncle Tom says, it’s the perfect place for me to get started in the music business.  You know it’s what I’ve always wanted. I’m beginning to feel that I’m never going to get a chance to do what I really want.  Everything has to be for the family.  I mean, I love Sam but I didn’t want to have a kid so young and I really, really want to be a rocker.  I sort of feel it’s my turn to be selfish.  Does that make me a horrible person?”
“Louisa, love, there’s no need to rush into anything.  Why don’t we all wait a few days… or even weeks or months?  There’s no great hurry.  We’ll work something out.”



“Tavares!  Thank you for you did to that computer.  The graphics are amazing!  If all this technology had been around when I was young the first time…
“Well, anyway.  From what Em says, there’s no future in architectural design and I was thinking about a career change.  I love graphics tablets and Photoshop – so much more versatile than paint and canvas.  Would you like to go into partnership?  Website design – or maybe games?”
“Yeah, that could work OK.  Brilliantly, in fact.  Me coding and you doing the artsy stuff.  I can really work anywhere – Twinbrook, Hidden Springs, wherever.  It’s all online anyway… Hang on a minute…
“Sorry, Macy!  I really need to go and talk with Lou and Sam!”



“So Dad says I can have my own computer with a webcam an’ everything an’ I can talk to Mum every day if I want an’…”

They bought two adjoining houses in Hidden Springs – one for Lou (when she was there), Tavares and Sam and a matching smaller one for Joe and Macy.  Lacy and Juan moved in across the road.



To his surprise, Sam soon made a lot of new friends, some of them nearly as green as he was.



Lou rented an apartment in Starlight Shores and started on an endless round of gigs… which she loved.  Audiences seemed to like the whole spooky ex-ghost thing.





She chatted to Sam online every day…



… Tavares divided his time between them…



…and whenever the life of an aspiring rock star got too overwhelming, Lou went back to Hidden Springs to chill out with her family.



“Hello, Fred.”
“Hi, Mum!  How’s it going?”
“The project?  Very well.  I’m getting the rooms sorted out and Deirdra was fixing the garden… although she’s a little preoccupied at the moment.”



“So, have you found any there?”
“Yes, three.”



“Three?  What a star!  I brought one back from Sunset Valley and Georgie says she’s found another, but three… ?!  Why don’t you bring them with you when you come to the wedding?”
“Have they fixed a date, then?”
“Yes.  Izzy’s finally convinced that she’s spent enough time on the treadmill to be able to get into her dress…”



Extract from the Twinbrook Tribune:
Miss Isabella Goole and Mr. Benjamin Ezell were married in a quiet ceremony in the garden of her family home, currently being converted into…







The newlyweds (and their cat, of course) moved to a small house on the outskirts of Riverview.





Riley went with them.  Izzy was the only person he trusted even vaguely and he’d heard that the perfect house had just come on to the market there: miles out of town, plenty of defences against all of the people who were out to get him and with most of the living space tucked away underground, safe from the hated outdoors and (shudder) water.  Paranoid, lui?





As little Siobhan Google grew up from toddler to child, the remodelled house approached readiness.



Deirdra and Brian realised that they wanted more children, probably a lot more – which led to a problem.  It was a large house but there was only so much space.  They decided to move into Hal and Ed’s old home next door.  Of course, when Deirdra’s second pregnancy resulted in twins, the Googles began to feel cramped and started considering another move... but that’s another story.



And at long last Emily and Deirdra were ready to fulfil Ana’s last wish.

Quote
“Finally, I have a particular legacy I wish to leave to Twinbrook.  I have been so happy here.”
“Another legacy?  Apart from your medical work?”



“Yes.  Christabel and Emily gave me the idea, although it was only something they said in passing.  I think it may appeal to you.

"What I would like to do is to give a home to orphaned child ghosts.  Emily may have rescued Charles but that poor little Wilhelmina is still stuck in the cemetery without company of her own age.  I imagine there must be similar cases in other towns.  I would like to found an orphanage for child and teenage ghosts, where they can grow up surrounded by their own kind and, if they wish, eat ambrosia and become fully human when they achieve young adulthood.”



“Hello, everyone.  Welcome to the Anastasia Goole Memorial Home.”




The bloopers reel

Offline ladyaya

  • The Epic Panda-Cat Lover
  • Watcher
  • ******
  • Posts: 1105
Re: The Ghosts of Twinbrook (updated 20 March)
« Reply #209 on: March 20, 2013, 06:38:02 PM »
Awwe, that seems like a perfect legacy for a former immortal that wouldn't die turned to a matriach of a ghost family now that she has her eternal rest. ^^