Author Topic: A Sharebear Legacy: The Butterfly Effect  (Read 26567 times)

Offline LenaLJ

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Re: A Sharebear Legacy: The Butterfly Effect
« Reply #45 on: March 30, 2018, 03:15:12 PM »
How wonderful that she could return to Salvadore.
My vote goes for Andres. A young loner vampire is what i like.

Offline Shewolf13

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Re: A Sharebear Legacy: The Butterfly Effect
« Reply #46 on: March 30, 2018, 05:13:52 PM »
Since I am all about the story, more than just the points, I had to go with Andres.  Plus, brooding vampire?  Oh yes please!  But both boys are so handsome!  And I'm glad they both get to stay in the house ^^



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Offline Heart Foam

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Re: A Sharebear Legacy: The Butterfly Effect
« Reply #47 on: March 31, 2018, 03:09:48 PM »
Was there a vote? Have I missed a vote? I'll go with the green-eyed one in any event! That'll help terrifically! I'm really interested in your house. I really like the round dining table and wall-o-fish. I'm never sure where to put them that makes any sense. Because there are so many. I'm also not sure how or where to display the fruits of archaeology. So I'm happy to be inspired and shameless copy ideas!
It is a little thing of my own. I call it "Heart Foam". I shall not publish it. Farewell! Patience, Patience, farewell!

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Offline FrancescaFiori

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Re: A Sharebear Legacy: The Butterfly Effect
« Reply #48 on: March 31, 2018, 08:48:14 PM »
@Heart Foam The vote is ongoing! There's a link at the end of the last chapter. And also here:  Click Here to Vote for the Heir

I hate to sound desperate, but between you and me it's a dead heat right now and I have zero plan for what to do in the event of a tie.

Please vote, y'all! I think I'm planning to leave the poll up until Friday.

Offline FrancescaFiori

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Re: A Sharebear Legacy: The Butterfly Effect
« Reply #49 on: April 03, 2018, 02:24:20 PM »
@oshizu @PeregrineTook @reggikko @LenaLJ @Shewolf13 and any silent readers, thanks so much for your votes! I'll close the poll on Friday. I won't say whom, but one candidate is currently in the lead by two, and Mr. Fiori has generously volunteered to be the tie-breaker if the other one catches up (as he's been doing consistently thus far.).

@Heart Foam I'm so glad you like the house! Particularly the wall o' fish! I'll post more pictures of it as the basic parameters get more fully sketched in. The roof took me FOREVER so I'm going to post a zillion pictures of that.

Chapter 7:  Misgivings



The teen years begin for my boys calmly, but with purpose. Myron listens to music while Gizmo supervises.



Andres researches vampires as I gently bring forth an ancient knife from a clump of earth. He approaches me tentatively once we’re both finished and tells me he’s learned the address of a person who can get him started on his path. I protest that it’s the middle of the night, but he smiles and informs me gently that the middle of the night is, in fact, the best and most appropriate time to call on this particular person.



So, in a show of solidarity and support for my wayward second-born, we venture as a family to Forgotten Hollow.



Andres enters alone and pauses skeptically in the entryway. He’s just recalled, perhaps, that the person he is seeking is known for being evil, while his sweet self is undeniably good. This may prove troublesome. Perhaps we should have called on the Vatores down the road, instead.



Nevertheless, Vladislaus Straud and my dear son both overcome their misgivings, and make a mutually beneficial arrangement.



The boy has a taste for it, there’s no doubt. Perhaps he’ll be something of a good influence on his ancient master. Who can say?



I am off at the nearby pond in search of the elusive vampire squid, so Daniel and the boys take advantage of Vlad’s comfortable, underutilized dining room to bang out their homework.



The effects of Andres’ encounter with Vlad begin to show quickly. Already my second son’s decisions begin to cause him pain.



While his brother blithely fiddles the night away outside.



A few moments after obtaining my squishy, winged prize, I spin in a startled circle. I’ve forgotten my birthday. Perhaps it’s better that it’s taken me by surprise. I’d rather not think about what it means. How much time has been spent. How much is left. Better to just get back to fishing. Better to just be grateful for the few extra hours my forgetfulness has bought me. I’ve never been fond of cake, anyway.



Next morning the boys head off eagerly for their first day of high school.



And return home not quite so eagerly.



Light and Darkness through and through. Myron’s grades are up. Andres’ are not. Myron is happy and energized. Andres is enraged. And covered in some sort of spots.



Sensible and calm at heart, however, he goes for a jog to clear his mind. Perhaps his last jog in the sunshine for some time.



Daniel maxes gourmet cooking. He purchases Stoves and Grills Master, and from here on out cooks nothing but platter after platter of Baked Alaska, attempting to achieve impeccable quality.



We attempt to soothe and comfort our brooding boy by assisting with his school project late into the night. He views us with teenaged skepticism, but also a hint of grudging gratitude. Rough as his path may be, he will not walk it alone. His father and I will make sure of that.



I finally get to invent something interesting at work.



I attempt to use my powers for good and set off a dance party in the office building, but the receptionist only manages a deeply resentful boogie. Some people just don’t want to be happy, I suppose.



Early next morning, between work and school, Andres undergoes his change.



He embraces his new form.



And puts his research to good use under the watchful eye of his father.



Daniel and I fall into a rhythm of quiet mornings with the boys off at school. I dig deep for breakthroughs, and Daniel maxes painting.



I permit myself a moment of self-satisfaction with my prowess at authentication. Sadly, my once-bottomless pile of dirt clumps has dwindled to nothing, and I have only three out of five excellent quality identifications to my name. I begin checking the mail with increased urgency and float the idea of making Selvadoradan birthdays a tradition.



His other designated skills maxed, Daniel turns his attention to gardening, fertilizing everything in sight.



Returning home after another frustrating day at school, Andres attempts to menace his brother, with disappointing results. Good Vampire truly is the best path for him. His sweet face couldn’t intimidate a fly. Myron's unflappable smirk describes him perfectly as well. He is as cool and steady as the flow of the creek near our house.

My beloved sons are finding their way in the world, and my time is winding down. The march of hours beats more softly in my ears, and I find I'm better able to savor these small moments without thinking about what they may mean in the larger context of our legacy. I adore my boys and my husband, and we are content. Let tomorrow bring what it may.

Offline simfulicious

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Re: A Sharebear Legacy: The Butterfly Effect
« Reply #50 on: April 03, 2018, 02:34:52 PM »
ooh, very nice chapter!  I don't even want to think about what's going to happen to my sims when they get old!  I haven't experienced death with watcher attachment before, so I hope I don't cry (but I probably will)


Poor Andres, I hope the kids didn't pick on him for having zits!  If they did, then I say he should get even later on...maybe turn some of them bullies into vamps!

Offline reggikko

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Re: A Sharebear Legacy: The Butterfly Effect
« Reply #51 on: April 03, 2018, 02:38:33 PM »
Aww, what a sweet update. Both boys are just awesome and I think either one will make a great heir. My Chere is well into her adult lifespan and I'm beginning to feel the feels about saying goodbye to her. Since I'm playing on normal lifespan, I've decided against any methods of life extension except for pregnancy and vampirism or the Bodybuilder aspiration for Sims who roll those.



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Offline oshizu

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Re: A Sharebear Legacy: The Butterfly Effect
« Reply #52 on: April 03, 2018, 03:04:52 PM »
I, too, have been miserly with ageing up my founder and her spouse, making them age up naturally without cake to squeeze in those few extra hours. :D  :/  :(
Is Andres ill? I see those spots on his neck as well so I'd ruled out acne...
Best wishes protecting Andres from the sunlight--that will be tough! I've never played a household where only one sim was a vampire.
Thank heavens for Sunlight Reversal Cocktail!

Good luck with the heir vote, Watcher. I agree with reggikko that both sons have the potential to make a wonderful heir.
And the plus side of having two heir candidates is that both of them can stay in the house!
Reading about the family's accomplishments as the Cherie and Daniel grow older is so bittersweet.

Do we foresee another short trip to Selvadorada in the near future?

P.S. More screen time for Myron, please! Non-broody sims need love, too! <3 LOL

Offline Shewolf13

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Re: A Sharebear Legacy: The Butterfly Effect
« Reply #53 on: April 03, 2018, 09:32:00 PM »
Oooo, loved this chapter!  The boys are awesome.  So different, yet each with their own strengths.  Daniel is a trooper!

Offline FrancescaFiori

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Re: A Sharebear Legacy: The Butterfly Effect
« Reply #54 on: April 05, 2018, 03:57:26 PM »
@simfulicious I'm feeling very anxious about losing Daniel. He's been such a prince! I'm going to be very bummed when he's gone. I haven't even started to worry about Cherie yet!
Andres zits are actually some sort of illness. Everything happens to that poor guy! He's always stressed, uncomfortable, sick, and experiencing some sort of extreme teenager emotion. He needs hugs.

@reggikko I agree! I'll be happy no matter who wins the vote. Plus, I get to keep them both in the house. Yay! Interesting about the life extension. I really want Cherie to max her career, and I'm not sure it's going to happen, so I'm considering adding an extra Potion of Youth just to make sure she gets there. I'm hoping I don't have to, though. Fingers crossed!

@oshizu Oh, yes. It was definitely strategy that made me let Cherie age up naturally and not absent-mindedness! Without a doubt! :) Actually, I may do it on purpose from here on out. Time is precious on short lifespan!
Yes, Andres was ill. *sigh* Oh, well. More opportunities to test Snake Oil serums, right?
Yes, I think a Selvadoradan adventure is in the cards. Just a weekend jaunt, perhaps. :)
I feel very bad for neglecting Myron, but he's just grinding away at the violin. He's awesome and perfect, but he pretty much just stands in that one spot, being awesome in more or less the same pose for hours and hours on end. There's couple more pictures of him in this next chapter, but they're mostly in his work uniform. *sad trombone*

@Shewolf13 Daniel is a super trooper! I just love him. I only wish he'd been a young adult when they met!

Chapter 8:  Afterthought



Andres' brother's rebuff is, of course, the worst thing that could possibly happen to a teenage boy’s fragile ego.



So he calls over the best thing that could happen to that ego: a pretty girl.



This particular pretty girl is a Gloomy Loner (Andres learns by practicing his powers on her), so isn’t a suitable candidate for primary spouse, but is a perfect candidate for good friend.



And she willingly offers her wrist when Andres requests a taste.



Myron easily reaches the top of his part-time career.



I go on an unexpected and highly interesting adventure. It pays to be a scientist. I hear the non-scientifically-inclined don’t fare quite so well on these excursions.



Daniel maxes gardening. His list of skills is becoming quite long and impressive. I refrain from comparing it to my own.



A rather obvious fake. I’m almost too disgusted to mail it back to the archaeology society. Almost.



My beloved brings home his level 8 promotion, completing his aspiration. His relief is palpable, and a wave of calm passes over the house. He has contributed what he set out to contribute, and I have done right by him in giving him the resources to make it happen. We’ll leave the maxing of this career to a future generation with more time and a bigger head start, and for now bask in the glory of getting this far, toasting his victory over a plate of never-spoiling Baked Alaska.



Daniel’s satisfaction shows in his painting, too, which he resumes with extra flair and exuberance.



Myron wonders why he hasn’t been allowed to quit his job, and maxes violin as evidence, perhaps, that his time could be better spent. Our sweet boy is just about as perfect as he could be, and for this reason is perpetually overlooked. He calmly and steadily spends his time composing beautiful songs under the lemon tree. His brother's temper tantrums and flashy vampire powers make for more exciting pictures, but Myron is truly doing the lion's share of the work around the house.



Andres, having exhausted the last of the Vampire Tomes, sets about learning fitness in the new gym we build for him on the new second floor of our home, which, with its wall and floor coverings, lights, and even the occasional decorative item, is now beginning to look suspiciously like an actual house fit for actual people to dwell in.



Gizmo observes faithfully, with an expression that hints that a nice companionable jog is far superior to the punching bag for raising one’s skill, at least in terms of the pleasure it gives.



Myron, dutiful as he is talented, composes an ode to Daniel, memorializing him officially as his self-portrait cannot.



Though the boys have spent every day since achieving A’s in school attempting to make friends, their list of contacts remains woefully brief. Thus, on Friday we head to the one place known for attracting droves of teenagers in the middle of the night: the park.



Sadly, we find nothing but vampires, or young adults dressed very much like vampires. Andres is able to practice his skills at least, and casually, almost lackadaisically catalogues the traits of passersby.



Almost as an afterthought, he thinks to inquire about one young lady’s career, and learns that in addition to the three unique traits she possesses, Romina Arroyo is a level 10 Double Diamond Agent.



And that is how I meet my daughter-in-law.



Following a hurried makeover, I test three slimify serums on the young lady. She appears deeply annoyed, but I hope I detect a small hint of gratitude beneath. And if not, there’s a fridge stuffed with Baked Alaska to help her regain her original figure.



One thing Romina cannot complain about is the house. The roof took us ages, and there are many, many expensive windows left to buy, but the basic frame is there, and at least doesn’t look comically primitive next to the lily-coated fountain of elegance in the driveway.



Romina and Andres hit it off right away.



His cheeks flush with blood from her veins when he realizes he has a particular affinity for the taste of her. The heir decision is still up in the air, and Andres still too young to fully understand the feelings Romina has stirred in him, but there will be no arm-twisting necessary when and if the time comes for these two to become more intimate. If the winds blow the other way, he will have more than his share of angst keeping his hands (and fangs) off his brother’s wife. At the moment, however, their connection is neither good news nor bad news, and I do my best not to worry.



The week ends with the Romance Festival, and one more thwarted attempt to find the missing plant for our collection. I feel strangely peaceful and permit myself a moment of undiluted enjoyment, devoted to neither skill-grinding nor achievement shilling, nor fussing over my sons and their futures.



The Romance Guru tells Romina what she already knows.



And with renewed confidence, she begins to pursue her aspiration in earnest. She wants to become a Party Animal. I knew we’d have to face this one eventually, and I suppose I’m grateful to her for precluding any procrastination on my part, but I think I’m even more nervous about getting this completed than I was about Daniel’s Master Chef. Ah, well. All things in time.

Offline oshizu

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Re: A Sharebear Legacy: The Butterfly Effect
« Reply #55 on: April 05, 2018, 04:38:12 PM »
Either the Watcher is pulling a Pippin/Tanvi strategy or already has a strong sense of which way the vote will end. :D
Absolutely brilliant move to use Detect Personality to both boost Andres' vampire rank and complete the spouse hunt!
You mentioned that Romina was possibly a Level 10 Double Diamond Agent (rereads that part of the update).
What did Cherie discover about her career?
Kudos to Andres and the Watcher for betting on that diamond in the rough. Romina turned out to be gorgeous!
(Why that "buzz cut" is popular among female sims, I'll never know!)

The House!!! Its facade is majestic and the roofing details are amazing!
With so few walkbys around Hound's Head, Sherilee keeps forgetting to go elsewhere to test her remedies. Thanks for the reminder! Her time runs short...
Another fabulous update!!! Congrats to Daniel for maxing Master Chef and to Myron for maxing his teen career and to everyone for all the maxed skills and achievements.

(And my apologies for the loooong comment)

Offline Heart Foam

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Re: A Sharebear Legacy: The Butterfly Effect
« Reply #56 on: April 05, 2018, 05:50:51 PM »
Wall and floor coverings! You spoil those folk. That upper deck thingy is great. Can anyone get there?

Romina does look better with hair. It's so comforting and mollifying and satisfying to make them look normal. I'm sure a disproportionate number of sims wear that vampire top. I love that mustache in the last picture. What a man. What hipster interests he must have. I think Party Animal is one of those aspirations I've not yet done... much effort. Much partying.   
It is a little thing of my own. I call it "Heart Foam". I shall not publish it. Farewell! Patience, Patience, farewell!

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Offline Shewolf13

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Re: A Sharebear Legacy: The Butterfly Effect
« Reply #57 on: April 05, 2018, 11:56:07 PM »
 love the house! It's gorgeous. Romina is quite the catch!

Offline LenaLJ

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Re: A Sharebear Legacy: The Butterfly Effect
« Reply #58 on: April 06, 2018, 02:44:25 AM »
Glad to see that both the boys are doing good in each their own way, they are so different. Cant wait to see when you reveal your next heir. I am still all on team Andres, even though Myron is surely gaining the more points (good for a helper right?)
Ramona is pretty both with curves and without. She will surely make some pretty babies, with either of the boys.

Offline FrancescaFiori

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Re: A Sharebear Legacy: The Butterfly Effect
« Reply #59 on: April 06, 2018, 01:59:33 PM »
@oshizu Romina's status as Level 10 Double Diamond Agent is confirmed! One career freebie. Woot wooot! I don't mind the secret agent career, but I'll take it. I'm not going to shed any tears over not having to actively slog through ten levels of any career. Kind of shame she's not in the Villain branch, as that would have saved me 11 levels, but again, I'll take it! She's still a Young Adult, so I had a few moments of waffling over whether or not I would plop her into another career to see if we could max it, but she's got zero skills and, frankly, we could use the money her level-10 salary brings in, so I think I'm just going to let her sit at the top of the Secret Agent career and throw parties on her days off.
And no need to apologize for long comments! I love them! And you always teach me something!

@Heart Foam The upper deck thingie is, for the moment, inaccessible. I hope to make it more functional soon. Maybe a yoga deck? We'll see. It's there because the floor plan I found online and copied has a garage attached to the house at that point, which makes sense on a non-Sim house, but breaks up the symmetry of the house's overall star-shape. I couldn't get rid of that without gutting the kitchen and getting rid of the soon-to-be laundry room, so I've decided the asymmetry adds Visual Interest! (flashing neon sign) And who doesn't love that?
I think Party Animal can be done without too much effort if you don't mind making a lot of phone calls and seeing that "Party Unsuccessful" question mark flash across your screen a million times, but since this a legacy and gold medal parties are counted for points I feel obligated to go all out and try to make every party the BEST party, so yes, I think it's going to take a very long time and a great many cakes. I'd better get Daniel started baking right now.

@Shewolf13 Thank you! I'm pretty proud of the house already (even though the floor plan is copied from the internet). I haven't gotten to build a giant mansion with everything you could possibly need in quite awhile, so I'm really enjoying this one. Romina is awesome and I'm so glad I found her!

@LenaLJ I'm really happy with the boys, and I feel very lucky that they randomly got such different personalities. I think the babies are going to be really cute, too!

Mini-Chapter:  Heir Poll Results!



Gizmo brings us all back to reality from Romance Festival reverie with a sharp bark, reminding us that the time has come for the first of Romina’s parties.



I try to muster enthusiasm to match hers once we reach home. The time has come. Now we light the candles and blow them out, and time marches on.

The Results Are In!



Andres Sharebears will be carrying on the Legacy.



That’s all there is to tell at this point, as Andres' story has yet to be told. It is sure to be a dark and interesting one, with many twists and turns. He will have his true love by his side, and also his faithful brother, whose own story will no doubt amount to more than a footnote in the pages ahead. I will let Andres tell his tale in his own voice from this point on, and let my own voice begin to fade to a whisper. A quiet whisper like the hush of a butterfly's wings, which, though soft, can still exercise influence in deep and untold ways.

Watcher’s Note:  So many thanks to everyone who voted! It was such a nail-biter! Andres surged ahead several times, and then Myron would quietly catch up. This last surge held, though, and Andres was the decisive victor. I am really excited to continue with this legacy!

I leave you with a shot of the roof because I can’t find any other sensible place to put it in, and it really did take me forever.



Onward Sharebears!