Author Topic: End of the Line Dynasty (4x4)  (Read 179133 times)

Offline hazelnut

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Re: End of the Line Dynasty: Mood Swings – and a Party to Die For (12 December)
« Reply #180 on: December 14, 2013, 04:11:27 AM »
Really? :)  I've not seen it but this is the first time I've played with rainboos and it'd be less noticeable with the normal sliders.

Offline Rhoxi

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Re: End of the Line Dynasty: Mood Swings – and a Party to Die For (12 December)
« Reply #181 on: December 14, 2013, 08:12:16 AM »

Sims can inherit skin tone from grandparents, I think, which is why in Rica's dynasty the red skin tone skipped a generation then popped back up. Not entirely sure about that, though. Go forth, Richard! Go forth and make us more rainboos to help get it back into the family! Hilarious update by the way, those pregnancy hormones are crazy, and Richard's mustache is indeed ill advised.



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Offline hazelnut

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Re: End of the Line Dynasty: Mood Swings – and a Party to Die For (12 December)
« Reply #182 on: December 15, 2013, 06:53:43 AM »
Sims can inherit skin tone from grandparents, I think, which is why in Rica's dynasty the red skin tone skipped a generation then popped back up. Not entirely sure about that, though.

Hope so.

Go forth, Richard! Go forth and make us more rainboos to help get it back into the family!

He's working on it...

Hilarious update by the way, those pregnancy hormones are crazy, and Richard's mustache is indeed ill advised.

Thank you.  I think Tabitha was having her midlife crisis early.  Her behaviour was so out of character while she was pregnant and she didn't have a crisis after she aged up.

Isn't it? ;)  He does get slightly better facial hair as an adult.

Offline hazelnut

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Re: End of the Line Dynasty
« Reply #183 on: December 16, 2013, 05:06:17 PM »
Family Traditions

The next morning, Tabitha carried her son to his first cake, while four proud grandparents cheered.





Apart from his hair, Alex was all GilsCarbo.



Carlotta was delighted to have a toddler around again, especially one who reminded her so strongly of baby Goopy.  She started teaching him to walk and talk, while Tabitha and Goopy put on their best clothes and went outside.  Sam and Sophia had married quietly at home; Tabitha, hopeless romantic that she was, wanted the first wedding in Monte Vista to be like just the first one in Hidden Springs.  (This garden was undeniably grander, of course, but she was prepared to ignore that little detail.)





Riley was up to his old tricks again.



His ability to send gifts through to their universe had entered family folklore.  Michael had also had a doll from Uncle Riley although, with Tansy and Bryony as playmates, he hadn’t felt the need for an imaginary friend.  He’d given the doll to Bryony before leaving Hidden Springs.  Maybe her children would play with it.

Alex named his toy May-May.



He was very fond of the doll and carried it around everywhere, at least until something else distracted him and he left May-May behind.  Then he’d realise it was missing and start crying.  Looking for the toy became a major occupation for the adults.  Tabitha was out on the terrace in search of a missing May-May when the adult sparkles hit.



Goopy was determined to make an early start on his son’s education, so he and Eduardo spent hours in the library, reading picture books with Alex.





One evening, Tabitha found herself at home with nothing to do.  All of the available fruit had been turned into nectar, the nursery was tidied, the washing done.  She started randomly flicking through channels on the TV.



It was nearly Christmas?  Really?  Cut off in their little bubble of eternal summer, they had no idea what was going on in the outside world.  Alex would be having another birthday soon and children loved Christmas, or so she’d heard.  They might not be able to afford the kind of expensive artworks her inner snob would have liked but Christmas decorations and renewing the soft furnishings were well within their budget.



Yes, that was better!

Alex had another birthday.



He grew up into a nervous little character, worried about being accepted at school.  Tabitha took him to get a proper big boy’s haircut and he picked out a somewhat conservative wardrobe.  Not quite a school uniform but pretty close.



Kindhearted Richard realised that, just because Alex had had a birthday, it didn’t mean anything else had changed.  He still loved being read stories.



In fact, he dozed off in Richard’s new bed, leaving his young uncle to spend the night in the nursery.

Typically, Alex forgot about May-May and left the doll sitting on the floor overnight – but when Alex woke next morning, he found that May-May had changed.  It – she – was no longer an inanimate doll.



May-May was eager to make friends.  She brought Alex food when he was hungry.



Then he had to go to school – but she was waiting when he returned home.

Over tea, he told his father about the strange thing that had happened to his friend and Goopy gave him an unexpected present.

Once his homework was finished, Alex spent the rest of the evening playing tag with May-May.



Laughing and exhausted, they stopped by the pool house.

“May-May?  My dad says if you drink this stuff, you’ll turn into a real person like me.  Do you want to try it?”



She did.



“Alex!  Are you still there?  I can’t see you through the bubbles…  Ooh, it tickles…  Oh!”

And there she was.  A real girl.



“Alex?  Would you mind if I changed my name a bit?  If I’m going to be a real girl, I ought to have a real girl’s name.  May-May sounds like a toy.  Can I just be May?”
“Of course you can.  Come on and meet my family.  And then there’s school tomorrow and…”

Next chapter



Alex is named after two other Sims.  The first Alexander (who definitely never shortened his name) was another Legacy Sim.  I think he was from generation 8, although I tend to get the later generations confused.  By that stage, I was confident enough to play larger families and was trying to complete most of the lifetime wishes I had available.  Alexander’s mother was a former babysitter called Constance, who was the Surrounded by Family Sim.  She ended up with seven kids but was always obsessed by her eldest.  Maybe it was because of her inappropriate trait, which certainly seemed to dominate her personality.  Edward was her favourite (read: almost only) topic of conversation and she made him late for school on a number of occasions by urging him to work on his skills or giving him hugs.  He grew up to be the doctor of the family, which probably made Connie very proud.  Alexander and his twin, Nicholas, were her next children.  Both were neurotic loners, which probably didn’t endear them to their outgoing mother.  Alexander grew up to be almost the perfect author.  He wasn’t a bookworm but all of his other traits were suited to a career in writing.  He remains my only Sim to max the self-employed writer career.  He registered at City Hall as soon as he aged up to teen and wrote the final few paragraphs of his first book immediately afterwards.  He eventually reached level ten, with no help from travelling (this was pre-WA), or lifetime rewards other than a steel bladder, in his late eighties.  Poor Nicholas became an unlucky loser and was undoubtedly my most unfortunate Sim ever.  Several times a day, messages would pop up telling me about his misfortunes at school.  He was bullied and accident-prone; even the teachers despised him.  I was glad when he grew up to young adult.  He had his portrait painted and moved out: the only member of the family not to achieve a lifetime wish.  I just felt he'd be safer out of the active household.

Alex is also sort-of named after my very first Sim, Alys Green.



Alys was also a writer.  (No prizes for guessing Alex’s major skill.)  She was an illustrious author, who specialised in children’s books.  Until recently, I’d assumed Alys was long lost but a library save surprisingly turned up when checking through an old hard drive before scrapping it.  She was one of the possible back-up founders for this dynasty and I may play her again in something else, because she was one of those lovely Sims who are really easy to look after.  Also, I spent ages on her clothes and appearance ;).

Offline Rhoxi

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Re: End of the Line Dynasty: Family Traditions (16 December)
« Reply #184 on: December 16, 2013, 08:18:35 PM »

Aw, what a sweet update! Alex and May are so cute, and the Christmas decorations look great. Lovely wedding: simple but beautiful!

Offline LenaLJ

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Re: End of the Line Dynasty: Family Traditions (16 December)
« Reply #185 on: December 20, 2013, 12:10:39 PM »
Im sad to see you running out of rainboos that fast. Else I really enjoy your story, its amazing. (Just like your other stories)
I have a question though. You took the whole graveyard with you when you moved your family, do they even recognise them as there ancestors anylonger? Because if they don't, we cant get their genes right?

Offline hazelnut

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Re: End of the Line Dynasty: Family Traditions (16 December)
« Reply #186 on: December 22, 2013, 04:11:23 AM »
Aw, what a sweet update! Alex and May are so cute, and the Christmas decorations look great. Lovely wedding: simple but beautiful!
I really enjoy your story, its amazing. (Just like your other stories)

Thank you  :D.

Im sad to see you running out of rainboos that fast.
I have a question though. You took the whole graveyard with you when you moved your family, do they even recognise them as there ancestors anylonger? Because if they don't, we cant get their genes right?

At least Alex still has the non-standard hair.  I was pleased that he inherited Goopy's very blue eyes, too.  I've been saving the odd hair colours as defaults, so it's possible that the black-and-green hair will also make a comeback.

I didn't quite take the whole graveyard.  The ones who were left behind no longer appeared on the family tree but the ones who moved were still recognised.  In fact, they also appeared as options for Tansy's relationship transmogrifier app, even though the graves were in the family inventory - I took them out briefly for that screenshot then put them away again.  As for the genes, Richard definitely has the same eye colour as Emmaline (and Cassidy, although I think she's too far back in the family tree to be the source).



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Offline LenaLJ

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Re: End of the Line Dynasty: Family Traditions (16 December)
« Reply #187 on: December 22, 2013, 04:48:54 AM »
I didn't quite take the whole graveyard.  The ones who were left behind no longer appeared on the family tree but the ones who moved were still recognised.  In fact, they also appeared as options for Tansy's relationship transmogrifier app, even though the graves were in the family inventory - I took them out briefly for that screenshot then put them away again.  As for the genes, Richard definitely has the same eye colour as Emmaline (and Cassidy, although I think she's too far back in the family tree to be the source).

Okay, because I took them all with me and placed them again, none of them showed up in the family tree (this was in a test file) So in the original I have not taken them with me.

Offline hazelnut

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Re: End of the Line Dynasty
« Reply #188 on: December 22, 2013, 06:27:12 PM »
Changes

Mike and Tansy knew they didn’t have much time left together.  Carlotta had made Ambrosia for herself and Mike – Richard couldn’t yet manage the garden on his own and Mike still felt that his best work as a sculptor lay ahead of him – but the other two had resigned themselves to making way for younger family members.  Eduardo was well into borrowed time and Tansy had now reached the end of a normal lifespan.  Mike left his sculpting stations and spent one last day enjoying his wife’s company.



But then, right at the end, it all went sour.



“No, Mike.  Not now.  It’s been a lovely day but I’m exhausted.  There’ll be time for WooHoo tomorrow.”

Except that there wasn’t.  The next morning, Tansy was admiring the new Christmas decorations when she felt herself starting to float.





“Please, Grim, give me just a little longer.  You see, last night…”
“Tansy!  Our son-in-law’s listening!  Please don’t!”

And then she was gone.



Mike threw himself into his sculpting.  He was determined to leave the family a good legacy but he certainly wasn’t going to extend his life any further.  The rest of the family tried to get back to normal: there were two children relying on them, after all.





Then Alex and May were children no longer.





The day after their shared birthday, Eduardo ran out of time.



“Please!  I’ve almost finished harvesting.  Can’t you wait another hour or so?”
“Come on, mate!  You’ve already lived longer than anyone else in this family and anyway, you’re right next to a load of life fruit.  You could have avoided this if you’d really wanted.  Stop wasting my time and get in that grave.”



*   *   *   *   *



Teenagers are always a trial but these two were odder than most.



After a day or two of pranks, May settled down (apart from her odd wardrobe choices).  She begged someone to help her with her schoolwork: having started primary school late, she’d only achieved a B grade to Alex’s A.  She was determined to beat him this time around.  While Alex worked on the school newspaper and socialised with classmates, May spent her evenings being tutored.  Not entirely coincidentally, it also gave her an excuse to spend time with Richard.  Soon she’d reached an A and was allowed a birthday cake.





It didn’t take long for Richard to notice that his best friend was now an attractive young woman…





…with inevitable consequences, this being a dynasty family.





Alex’s progress through high school was rather slower.  He finally reached an A on the day of the newspaper club’s reward ceremony.  Tabitha, Carlotta and May went to watch him being presented with his participation trophy.

“Alex, what are you doing?”
“Homework, of course!”
“Right here?”
“I seem to remember you doing the same thing.”



“Shhh, Aunt ‘Lotta.  Come on, get up off the ground, Alex.  You don’t need to do any more homework.  There’s a cake waiting at home.”

Goopy got back from the hospital just in time to join his son’s birthday celebrations.





While Alex was sorting out his new look, the others prepared to tuck into the birthday cake.  Then May clutched her bump and groaned.



“Goopy, do something!”
“Mum, I’m a neurosurgeon, not an obstetrician.  I don’t know what to do!”

May, for once the sanest member of the family, wandered outside and left them to stop panicking and eat their cake.

Some time later, Tabitha and Carlotta followed her out but now they barely seemed to notice the labouring woman on the terrace, even when she started to sparkle.





Welcome, Jane Gold.

Offline Rhoxi

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Re: End of the Line Dynasty: Changes (22 December)
« Reply #189 on: December 22, 2013, 07:46:18 PM »

Yay! Greenboo! *does a little dance* By the way, Alex is quite handsome. Poor Mike; that's not a very good last memory to have of the woman you love.

Offline hazelnut

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Re: End of the Line Dynasty: Changes (22 December)
« Reply #190 on: December 23, 2013, 04:11:32 AM »
Jane is very much a greenboo, as you'll see when she ages up :).  Alex is almost a clone of Goopy, apart from the Hidden Springs ghost hair.

I always try to give my elderly Sims a romantic last day (or several) as the end approaches.  This is the first time it's gone wrong :(.

Offline hazelnut

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Re: End of the Line Dynasty
« Reply #191 on: December 23, 2013, 02:30:55 PM »
Growing Up and Growing Old

May took her baby daughter to her first cake in the early hours of the following morning.





As usual, Carlotta was keen to take on most of the toddler-training duties, while Tabitha helped May to pick out a very special outfit.  As soon as it was fully light, May joined Richard out in the garden.  Like Tabitha and Goopy, they had a quiet wedding by the fountain.







*   *   *   *   *



Alex was busy with his writing and his career but all of the other adults took turns looking after and teaching little Jane.  With all this attention, she was soon ready for another birthday.





As a child, it became obvious that Jane had inherited more than just her hair from May.



Her father rapidly tutored her to an A, so she was free to spend the rest of her childhood enjoying herself.  She was a delight – lively but no trouble.  She’d rather learn to cook with the toy oven or play with blocks than set booby traps.  All too soon, she was ageing up again.



Time wasn’t standing still for anyone else, either: half of the household were now elders.  Now that Goopy had reached the top of the medical career and retired, and Tabitha had completed her wish to make five hundred bottles of nectar, they were rarely apart.  In their youth, they’d both been too busy to spend much time together; now they were trying to make up for it.



As Jane neared the end of her teens, Grim came for Carlotta.  She was ready to go; ready to be reunited with her dear Eduardo.



Jane missed her terribly.  Although their family relationship was tenuous at best, Carlotta had been like a grandmother to her and they’d been best friends as long as she could remember.



Even before they’d finished grieving for Carlotta, Grim was back again, for Mike.



Like Carlotta, he was happy to go  – life felt pointless without Tansy.  He hadn’t placed a hundred sculptures as he’d wanted but he was still leaving behind an impressive legacy for their descendants.



A few days later, Jane had another birthday.





While Jane was still changing her mind about which new clothes to wear, Tabitha, who’d had an early night, got out of bed and started to sparkle.





Like her father, she left a notable collection in the basement.



Goopy survived his wife by less than a day.



And then there were four.

More outtakes
Next chapter of story

Offline Hallucination

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Re: End of the Line Dynasty: Growing Up and Growing Old (23 December)
« Reply #192 on: December 23, 2013, 03:08:20 PM »
RIP... okay, let's see. RIP Mike, Tansy, Eduardo, Carlotta, Goopy, and Tabitha. That's all, right?
I'm not pedantic! I just believe in precision of language.

Green Witch Legacy

Offline Rikki8528

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Re: End of the Line Dynasty: Growing Up and Growing Old (23 December)
« Reply #193 on: December 23, 2013, 03:40:28 PM »
Oh my. Grim came all in a flash, again?! RIP Golds.

Offline hazelnut

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Re: End of the Line Dynasty: Growing Up and Growing Old (23 December)
« Reply #194 on: December 23, 2013, 03:51:05 PM »
RIP... okay, let's see. RIP Mike, Tansy, Eduardo, Carlotta, Goopy, and Tabitha. That's all, right?
Oh my. Grim came all in a flash, again?! RIP Golds.

Yep.  Depressing, isn't it?  :'(

More Outtakes

Since that ended up being a decidedly gloomy chapter, here are some more outtakes as an antidote.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

 

anything