Author Topic: The Avyan Immortal Dynasty - The Word Unsaid (9/25/20)  (Read 80332 times)

Offline Deme

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The Avyan Immortal Dynasty - The Word Unsaid (9/25/20)
« on: April 28, 2018, 10:29:02 AM »
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Volume 1

Chapter 1: Memento Mori

Chapter 2: Fisherman, Ahoy!

Chapter 3: For Its Own Sake

Chapter 4: Breathmints for All!

Chapter 5: It's Just a Jump to the Left...

Chapter 6: Can't Blame a Girl For Wanting to Linger

Chapter 7: All This Feelings Junk

Chapter 8: A Tiny Social Hailstorm

Chapter 9: We All Have Our Own Accomplishments

Chapter 10: Our Pamphlets Are Impressionist Poetry

Chapter 11: In the Weight of a Life

Chapter 12: I Respect Your Pinterests

Chapter 13: Many Birthdays, Many Stories, Part 1: Miko and Zest

Chapter 14: Many Birtdays, Many Stories, Part 2: Kestral, Kite, and Akira

Chapter 15: I'm Getting Ahead of Myself. By Several Lifestates.

Chapter 16: I Should Hyperbole More Often

Chapter 17: Flowers and Stars...And Makeovers.

Chapter 18: All Sea Monsters are Fictional, By the Way

Chapter 19: The World Began with Snow

Chapter 20: Winter Allergies!

Chapter 21: All My Stupid Housemates

Chapter 22: A Horde of Zestspawn

Chapter 23: The Star Born Under the Sign of Kite

Chapter 24: The Shah of Snowfall

Chapter 25: That Guy

Chapter 26: Some Quality Bumming

Chapter 27: New Year Don't Sound Like a Word

Chapter 28: Yer Second Introduction

Chapter 29: This Is a Video Game Thing, Isn't It?

Chapter 30: Knitting on a Metaphorical Level

Chapter 31: The Space Prince

Chapter 32: All People Are Stars

Chapter 33: The Color's a Kind of Garnet

Chapter 34: Maybe We Lost the Real Scounding

Chapter 35: Memento Vivere

Volume 1 Conclusion

Volume 2

Chapter 36: Flower Exchange

Chapter 37: A Bunch'a Lionesses

Chapter 38: The Sun Came Up

Chapter 39: Paintings by Monsieur Old Dead Guy

Chapter 40: Trustworthy Fake Rabbit a' Excellence

Chapter 41: A Truth Universally Acknowledged

Chapter 42: Do I Need a Sliding Scale

Chapter 43: That Cat Frost

Chapter 44: Live From My Keyboard

Chapter 45: Solar Punk's In

Chapter 46: Not Merely a Serial Philanderer

Chapter 47: A Joke Without a Punchline

Chapter 48: That Noise's Not Gonna Be Here

Chapter 49: I have Ardor!

Chapter 50: Like Some Sort of Numismatic Mermaid

Chapter 51: A Hard-Won Happiness

Chapter 52: A Sweet Feeling

Chapter 53: The Open Sky

Chapter 54: We're Back and Away!

Chapter 55: Everything Beautiful In Its Season

Chapter 56: What's True, Official

Chapter 57: The Word Unsaid

Stories In Progress:
The Avyan Immortal Dynasty

Offline Deme

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Re: The Avyan Immortal Dynasty
« Reply #1 on: April 28, 2018, 10:40:37 AM »
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Warning: This post will contain spoilers, and also will not necessarily be accurate during a sim's progression: I play a ways in advance, and so sometimes lose track of when certain events occurred, though I'll try and keep progress roughly in-step with when they happened within the story. By the time of a sim's immortality, they will be accurate, of course. Things like whims and rewards will likely be listed all at once.

Founder: Kestral Avyan - Immortal


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Generation Two: Kite Avyan

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Offline Deme

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Re: The Avyan Immortal Dynasty: Chapter 1 - Memento Mori
« Reply #2 on: April 28, 2018, 10:46:12 AM »
Chapter 1: Memento Mori

Memento Mori. That’s for suckers.
 

You think of all the people out there, cruising along, who are going to die someday. It's all of them and you know it's all of them, and they know it, too. But I’m not going to just lie down and play along.
There’s no deep reason, no dark secret that fundamentally justifies my choices, no sob-story to trot out in front of you all.
 
I just don't want to die.


 

Of course, a girl's got options. I've done my research. A lot of sims think, oh, vampiric powers, that'll set me up good. Yeah, no. Out of the question – that’s a kind of death, right there, you just chain yourself to it and say you own it, rather than it owning you. Not fooling anyone. Potions of youth? Seems pretty sweet, but you've got to keep up on that; that's the ambrosia problem, too. It's not like I'm not going to have to go through a phase of this, of just balancing atop the rolling ball of my impending death like a chump.
 
But at the end, I might just get the real deal. A dynasty of immortals, 8 in a pretty little row, can do that. They can do just about anything, because they’ve made life sit down, shut up, and roll over. And that sounds just about right for me. It’s a fairly hard to find secret, that path to have the world in the palm of your hand, but I’m tough enough.
 



So, a little tour of Kestral, for posterity’s sake. I don’t think that if I told you I was self-assured and ambitious, you would go “Really, Kes? That doesn’t sound like you.” But I’ve also got, you know. An aesthetic heart. A creative streak, I guess I’d call it, especially when it comes to food. And drink, Kestral likes a nice bubbly something at the end of her day.
 
So, first things first, a fresh start; it’s not like I have much anyway, and a nice big lot in Windenburg feels like some fun scenery. I’ve been a little homeless for a while, so there’s not much wrong with just me, myself, and the big empty lot I’ve bought to live on forever.


 
Well… Except that I have no intention of keeping it empty, or with just me.
 


I’ll stalk this park, and every park in a 4-town radius. I’m a little restless, what can I say? I don’t want to wait to meet people. To get my foot in the door, I’ve done a little research on a few resident notables, but I have to find them, first. And I’ll be honest: some of them are being a little uncooperative. I’m burning daylight here.

 

I’m making note of a few people. Catarina’s cute, but I don’t think I have the space for –
 
“It’s really just me and my cats; they’re such sweeties, I couldn’t bear to live without them!”
 …All those cats, as she is happy to explain to me.
 
Next girl I met was another girl I’d heard about.

 

Miko could work nicely; could I bring in the roomie as well, or are they stuck with the teen? More info’s needed there.
 
“That dress is very styling,” is what leaves my mouth the moment I see her. “I probably need to get one like it.” (Spoiler alert: I did, but maybe more cool; less of that kind of bright aesthetic. In my colors, you get the idea.)
 
She giggles into her hand.
“Thanks! It’s, you know, my party look, but I thought maybe getting all dressed up would help me meet people! It’s the Totoro bag principle, but with cute sushi!”
The what now?
 
“It certainly worked for me. I’m actually out to meet people, too. I’m kinda new in the area, and I need a hand for… I guess you’d call it a mission I’m out to fulfill," I explain. You don't have to barrage someone with details, but a 'mission' is about how I see it.
 
“So like a quest! Awesome! That’d make you a lady knight, maybe?” It’s kind of a dumb line, but her eyes sparkle when she says it. It might just have a little real potential after all.
 
“I wouldn’t call it that selfless – but it’ll certainly be epic.”
 
 “Good luck, then!” and she goes back to whatever it is she was doing as she cut through the park.
 
 
 
I just try and grab everyone around me… But someone catches my attention.

No, not the plumbob, the guy behind it. One Johnny Zest, single …Well, let’s generously call him up-and-coming comedian. Lives alone. Not bad-looking, I suppose, if guys are your cup of tea. He’s perfect.
 
“I’ve heard about you; comedy paying the bills?” I ask.
 
“Well, not exactly…” Is his uneasy response. “I’m sort of stalling right now; it’s kind of a mess. Bills are mounting up, that sort of thing. I’m trying to not sweat the money, just enjoy my life! …But materials’ been thin, too. But hey, haha, we all have our roads to cross.
 “…You know.
 “…Because the chicken?”

This explains so much.

“OK, look, Zest. You just want to have fun, right?” I lean in, considering how to pitch this. You cannot just ask a person to live on a vacant lot; you’ve got to make them recognize the opportunity! And maybe not tell them about the ‘no house’ thing. When he gives me money, I’ll give him a house!
 
“That does sound like me,” he answered.
 
“Well, I’m having an adventure…A quest, I guess. I’m doing something major, and I could really use a hand – and you could use the chance to break out of this rut! To be surrounded by strange happenstance for loads of material, to live like a guy who’s got a story – but not worry about bills, because we’re in this together. A roomie situation, that sort of thing. I’ll bring the food and drink, I’ll bring the parties, and you will get to meet lots of girls. You won’t have to worry about a thing.” That’s the best pitch I can give him, and he sighs in relief at the offer.


“Yeah, sounds fun! I’ll give it a shot! If I hate it, I’ll just move out!”
 
“That’s the spirit!” Because your girl does not miss a beat, and there’s no sense worrying him about the fact that he is here forever.

We are whisked from the park at a sudden phone call from Miko, wanting to hang out in the ruins… But no sooner than we arrive does she groan.
 


 
“Ugh,” she says, sagging for a moment before popping back up like a chipper little spring. “I need to go take care of something that just popped up! But I do want to talk more about what you’re planning! Call me~!”
 Weird…Was she really in that much of a hurry?
 
So, when I go back to the lot, and we do a little constructing, I call up and invite her to…
 

The start of the house. That’s how I want to think of it. Not my real house, just a start, just a pretend, goofy, made-up version of my real house. That made it feel kind of okay.


Be it ever so humble, right?


We go cloudgazing, and she asks me:
“So what are you trying to do? This ‘mission’ of yours?”
              
“I’m going to live forever.”
 
“Everything dies, though, right? The beauty of the sakura is the beauty of its impermanence! That’s how it goes!”
 
I turn onto my side for a moment and I look at her eye in profile, cornered curiously towards me. If she’s gonna want to make me talk about this, I’m not having her mind wander.
 “And who decided it goes that way? I’m making my own choice. What sort of chump would accept their life being something The Grim Reaper, or anyone, can take away from them? Everyone needs something no one can take, and I’m going for the gold with it.”

We face each other. Miko turns, away from the sky – but when she does, I feel like she might still be looking at something she’s reading. As I speak, her eyes widen; her lips part slightly in surprise.  Her bubbly energy’s gone very still. She looks worried. I’ve probably shot off at the mouth a little too much. Well, that’s fine; she’s got nothing to worry about. I investigate that cloud that looks like a trophy for a while.
 
“And that’s your happiness?” Is what she asks.
 
“It’s my everything, now, isn’t it: being alive. You stay dead, and eventually you can’t be anything anymore. Besides! It has other perks! I’ve got a list of things; if I do those things, I can eat ambrosia; when I do that, and 7 of my descendants do that, we’ll have completed an Immortal Dynasty. Besides the aforementioned eternity, for the kids, or the grandkids, or whatever– they’ll be able to reap its other blessings, if they want to; true freedom to do as they wish. Money and experience, to spread across the world. The restoration of lost love. Heck, if I wanted to, I could have that one, too, but that’s not the selling point for me.”

There is a moment of silence in which her face goes from shock to wonder. She claps her hands over her chest and gives me a round of applause. I don’t think she’s kidding. She looks at me with bright, bubbling excitement and a big grin.
 
“That,” she says, settling back in to watch the sky, “is a really cool quest! You’ll have to tell me all, all, all about what you’ve got to do, OK? I’m rooting for you!”
 
While I’m telling her about my plans, which I have crafted to a T (well, to my T; I’m not going to dictate my kid’s paths. Much. Yet.) Zest is talking to a girl he met.

Her, I don’t know about, though Zest tells me later her name is Lara.  Once Miko goes home, I can hear snippets of their conversation through the cheapo-depot walls.
 


“I think you’ll agree I rose to the occasion.”
She laughs. That’s how I know things are going well between them: only attraction can explain laughing at that joke.



And they go all the way “well.” If you’re not counting the mushy stuff in that, because I doubt it’s a serious relationship. I think they were both pretty clear about just wanting a nice romantic fling. It’s not a bad sort of thing, really… And the less seriously Zest takes these things, the more he plays around, as it were, the better it is for me. I’m gonna need friends for generations’ worth of children, and that ball needs to get rolling.
 
While they’re handling that, I wait out on the porch in the cool dusk air. And I start tending my bar. I’m going to be spending a lot of time here.



I’ve got a dream bar, you know. Just for me. It’s classy, and warm; wood tones and leather with some jewel colors. Low lighting. Maybe a fireplace, maybe some games. A piano player wraps the bar up in music, and a woman in a slinky red dress croons. On a rainy night, it’s a little candle flame, a golden, starry glow in the cool shroud of water. A private world. Sometimes, when the going gets tough, I polish the glasses there in my head, until the whole dream shines.
 
This… Is not that. But it’s a little seed of it.
Stories In Progress:
The Avyan Immortal Dynasty

Offline MarianT

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Re: The Avyan Immortal Dynasty - "Momento Mori" (4/28/18)
« Reply #3 on: April 28, 2018, 11:01:09 AM »
Yippee! Deme is back with another Immortal Dynasty! Looking forward to the rest of Kestral's "mission."
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Offline LazyKatie

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Re: The Avyan Immortal Dynasty - "Momento Mori" (4/28/18)
« Reply #4 on: April 28, 2018, 11:27:19 AM »
Oooh, nice, a dynasty with a gay girl. This definitely has my attention.

And idk, I think Johnny Zest is kinda ugly, but then again guys aren't my cup of tea. But that doesn't mean I can't think some look better aesthetically than others without being attracted to them. I personally, if I were to use a guy as my pollinator, I'd likely use Salim since he tends to make good kids. But I'm more likely to just use a girl that can make babies, and actually Miko's a good one for it since pollination goes well with her aspiration. I'll have to do an immortal dynasty one of these days.

Offline oshizu

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Re: The Avyan Immortal Dynasty - "Momento Mori" (4/28/18)
« Reply #5 on: April 28, 2018, 11:36:02 AM »
What an amazing intro to your immortal dynasty's founder.
I love her personality and her ironic take on life.
How fun that you've written corny jokes for Johnny, even!

Can't wait for what she's up to next!

Offline Deme

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Re: The Avyan Immortal Dynasty - "Momento Mori" (4/28/18)
« Reply #6 on: April 28, 2018, 12:02:08 PM »
Yippee! Deme is back with another Immortal Dynasty! Looking forward to the rest of Kestral's "mission."

Thanks for the welcome back!

Oooh, nice, a dynasty with a gay girl. This definitely has my attention.

And idk, I think Johnny Zest is kinda ugly, but then again guys aren't my cup of tea. But that doesn't mean I can't think some look better aesthetically than others without being attracted to them. I personally, if I were to use a guy as my pollinator, I'd likely use Salim since he tends to make good kids. But I'm more likely to just use a girl that can make babies, and actually Miko's a good one for it since pollination goes well with her aspiration. I'll have to do an immortal dynasty one of these days.

Johnny's alright; I'm kind of meh on his looks, but after about 3 or 4 attempts at a good start and finding people, I just decided to scream internally and pick whoever was non-disastrous and available (Though I mainly thought guys, because I was trying to decide who I wanted for Kestral for a while; it's a good thought to keep in mind for the next generation of pollination, though). Salim would have been a good choice if he was a bit less out of the way in this run; I've got a soft spot for the guy from a legacy I did.


What an amazing intro to your immortal dynasty's founder.
I love her personality and her ironic take on life.
How fun that you've written corny jokes for Johnny, even!

Can't wait for what she's up to next!

Thank you! Kestral's monologue really helped me get enthused about the challenge. (I love Johnny's terrible jokes, personally; they're fun to write.)

Oh, speaking of Kestral's personality... While she didn't want to scare off the mark, this certainly came mind, and I thought it'd give people a chuckle.

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Offline rika1431

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Re: The Avyan Immortal Dynasty - "Momento Mori" (4/28/18)
« Reply #7 on: April 28, 2018, 06:02:09 PM »
Ahhh, I love your style, and I love immortal dynasties! I can't wait to read more of this. Kestral has a really enjoyable personality--one of the great things about an immortal dynasty is we'll never have to see that personality go! :D

Offline Shewolf13

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Re: The Avyan Immortal Dynasty - "Momento Mori" (4/28/18)
« Reply #8 on: April 29, 2018, 12:35:02 AM »
Ooo, fun!  I love it.  Kestrel's great ^^ Looking forward to following her journey.

Offline Trip

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Re: The Avyan Immortal Dynasty - "Momento Mori" (4/28/18)
« Reply #9 on: April 29, 2018, 08:59:26 PM »
Good: Deme coming back (<3), this being EXTREMELY gay :D

Bad: if Kestral and Miko are set up to reproduce, they can't truly pass down either unnatural hair color. A true oversight from EA.
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Offline Deme

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Re: The Avyan Immortal Dynasty - "Momento Mori" (4/28/18)
« Reply #10 on: May 03, 2018, 09:33:10 AM »
Ahhh, I love your style, and I love immortal dynasties! I can't wait to read more of this. Kestral has a really enjoyable personality--one of the great things about an immortal dynasty is we'll never have to see that personality go! :D
Ooo, fun!  I love it.  Kestrel's great ^^ Looking forward to following her journey.

Thank you, thank you! Yeah, I'm looking forward to spending a long time with Kestral, who is free enough to justify all my ruthless or odd gameplay decisions. A good, good, morally dubious ruthless girl.

Good: Deme coming back (<3), this being EXTREMELY gay :D

Bad: if Kestral and Miko are set up to reproduce, they can't truly pass down either unnatural hair color. A true oversight from EA.

Aw, thank you for the welcome back! Yeah, EA, give me unnatural-hair babies! For shame on them. Oh, well. Gen 2 might be the hair-altering type, or maybe Kestral's hair has some sort of silly fantasy gene where it changed color as she got older she can "pass on." -- she's a lady of mystery. Who can argue?
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Offline Deme

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The Avyan Immortal Dynasty, Chapter 2: Fisherman, Ahoy!
« Reply #11 on: May 03, 2018, 09:36:32 AM »
Chapter 2: Fisherman, Ahoy!


“Morning, Lara. Had fun?”
“Oh. You’re Johnny’s roommate.” She gives me a long up and down. I give her a grin; it’s never too early to start making friends, right? Sure, keeping them up is a bit of work, and you’re playing risky business, but you need to chase your opportunities. Opportunity only knocks once unless you grab its hand and make it. And when you do that, they become more opportunities. And at the end of the day, everyone (well, everyone you gotta watch out for) wins. She does not catch my thoughts. “Is this going to be a problem?”

Oh, my sides.

“No, no, of course not. I’m not that kind of roommate. You do what you like about Zest. I’d offer coffee, but we’re on the cheap. Come back in...Oh, I dunno, maybe two days.” Today’s my day off, and I’m not at a level of my aspirations where I need a dinner party. So as much as I’d like to say I’m going to get one tonight, it’s time to be realistic. Actually, I’d like to see whether or not there’ll be a kid, so two days is about perfect.

Once she leaves, though, it’s time for me to people-hunt, because I’m going to need more than Zest for this -- he can run around and get me plants because I made puppydog eyes at him all day, but there’s bound to be some things I can make easier.

And that’s when I spot him. An old man. In overalls.



Fisherman, ahoy! Not as good as a gardener, but I flag him down and dash towards him, because any free fish I can get are good fish. I practically shove the welcome wagon aside as I dash out --

“I’ll take care of these guys!” Zest cries after me. They’re a full day late, anyway.

“Hey! Can we talk? I’m Kestral.”

“Oh, sure! it’s not every day someone your age wants to talk to an old man like me. Gino’s the name. Gino Levin.”

“Cool, cool. Hey, listen, Gino -- can I call you Gino?” I have already ditched his last name entirely. “Are you happy? You look like an out-of-towner; you commute to fish?”

“I don’t mind the commute,” He says with a laugh. For an old guy, he talks pretty quickly, with  “It’s a bit of a challenge, gives me something to do!”



And boom goes the dynamite. A door opens a little before me. I can get him, and then I’m home free on fishing for -- I dunno, a week, maybe? How old is he?

“A challenge, huh? You can do better than a commute, though!” I start, luring him in. “You need a real purpose, before it’s too late!”



“Yeah! You’re right!” He got fired up pretty easily. I breathe a sigh of relief.

“I am right! You can --”

“Actually, I’ve got to go. Thanks for talking with me!”

Oh, come on! That’s not even fair!

I head back to the house, where I’ll call up that fisherman, because your girl is going to reel in this catch so she doesn’t have to worry about reeling in a catch! Meanwhile, true to his promise, Zest has been taking care of the welcome wagon.



really taking care of one of them, anyway.

“Hey!  You’re a pretty girl -- you shouldn’t doubt yourself!” He’s explaining as I try and sort out the mob around me.

“Johnny, you flatter me,” Maaike says, in the tone that suggests that flattery, while somewhat misplaced, is not going to be disregarded. If you like having your ego boosted, just say so -- it’s what I do. To myself.

“Yeah, but I’m being serious! I know you can’t tell, but really!” He really does sound earnest, taking her hand and energetically sweeping her up to her feet. “Now, this is where, if I had a prop comedy thing, I’d tell you beauty is in the eye of the b-holder, but I’d have a B tucked away somewhere and give it to you. It’d be great.“

“But you don’t,” she says.

“But I don’t. It B-left me, so you’ll just have to B-lieve me.” When he says that, she gives one of those bursts of laughter that comes after a long pause, in which a rational person’s brain adjusts to the ridiculousness of things Zest is willing to say with nothing but a bright and earnest smile. “You’re smart, you’re funny, you’re awesome!”

“I think,” says Maaike, “That I’m smart enough to think you’re just trying to get with me.”



“Nah! Well. Ok. Could you blame me?” He tried to find a way to buoy her up, and snaps his fingers. “I know! I’ll prove it; be my girlfriend!”

“...Well. Very well, then. We are to date!”



It’s a very short walk to his bedroom from there. I asked him later if that was going to be a real thing -- by which I meant, a lasting thing.

“Well, everything’s lasting, right -- it lasts as long as it lasts, but it probably won’t be the last.” He shrugged, in the future. “But I do like her, but I’m not sure if I’m ready for something super exclusive.”

he’s probably just caught in the moment. Like I hoped he would be.



Not that I am not considering Ulrike, myself. An artsy type isn’t bad.



“So, naturally, I’m expecting to knock out a couple of levels of kitchen work in my first week or so here, become a master chef and mixologist by the time I’m an adult, and just knock it all right out of the park, you know? But it’s not exactly a solo job.”

“Suuuurre.”

Pah. Whatever her skepticisms, there’s nothing a good cloudgazing can’t fix.



Nothing charms and relaxes like lying on the ground with someone! For some reason. But at least Ulrike enjoys describing shapes for a while.

Once the Welcome Wagon goes home, I am left with Gino, who’s looking a little down.



“Heeey, Gino. What’s up, old man?”

“...What if it is too late? I’m not spring chicken. All you young people, having love lives; having goals. The water never changes… I’m running out of time to be like that.” His shoulders sag and he smiles, full of regret.

Look, I intend a lot of things that happen. But this isn’t one of them. And I can’t abide giving up like that; I won’t accept it!



“It’s not too late; it’s never too late!”

“But didn’t you say --”

“OK, there is a too late, but you’re alive right here, right now; you have an all.” I lean in and grab his arm just a little gently. “Look. If you’re lonely, come move in with us! It won’t be a grand life or anything (sorry about that, I’ll work on it), but every fish you can catch goes into building a big house for forever! And every angelfish you catch can really count! Come on; whaddya say?”

“You got yourself a fisherman!”



And so is added to the house Gino Levin (Oh, hey, I remembered after all), a Jealous, Active Bro. Odd for a fisherman, but what do I know? Like Zest, I’m not going to force him to change all his clothes. Maybe just a dapper suit. For when I have an occasion. Later, I’ll probably get… More proactive, as it were. Because I know that by second generation, everyone will have been absolutely smashed by the dumb outfit stick.



But while he has not been catching me an angelfish, I was going forth and conquering. Winning the day. Getting my first promotion, as you do.


I can spend most of my next morning skilling. What? This is skilling. I have to make drinks, and then the drinks are just sitting around, waiting to be drunk! That said, I’ll be glad when my aspiration lets me step back and practice bartending for a bit; easier to do for a long while. But while I need to, I can knock them out!



Not that I don’t, when Zest gets invited out by Maaike, mind going out and spending a while in a nice pub.



“You know, people say chickens are dinosaurs -- but aren’t you supposed to call things chicken, not the other way around?” What. Dude.

“Hm; you raise a point… Would the logical counter-chicken then be a dinosaur, or do we suppose dinosaurs cowards?”

He’s… kind of got a situation going. Of which he and his talk of dinosaurs remains completely and blissfully unaware.

But that’s his business; my business… Is with a familiar face.



“Sweet, what a coinkidink!” She waves me down when I come in, and I take a seat across the table from her.

“Aren’t you supposed to live in San Myshuno? I know they have bars there.”



“OK, while I love, love, loooove a good karaoke machine, you have to go out, experience new things, visit new places! That’s sort of my thought about all sorts of things -- about life, and about love, too!”

Oh.
“So, you’re kind of a free spirit, huh?”  That’s what she wants… Do I take a different tack, then? Well, it’s not like me to worry about that; if that’s what I want to do, it’d be better to sweep her off her feet so hard she can’t think.


“Yup! I wouldn’t say I’d want to be a two-timer… But I wouldn’t want to get bored, either!” She smiles blithely… But after a moment, she gives me a glance. “Out to meet more people for your quest?”

“Kinda; I’d see what happens, anyway. Wish that lady would let me behind the bar…” I mean, wouldn’t that be fun? It’d be a step up from the porch.

“That’s lame! I’d like to try your drinks sometime.” She looks at my face for a second and stands up. “Hey, wanna see if I can’t kick your butt in foosball for a while?”

“I mean, I already know the answer; but it’ll be fun to prove it to you,” I answer graciously.

“You’re so mean!” She laughs regardless. “I’ll make you eat those words!”



We just goofed around anyway; it was a fun match.

“Shame it doesn’t help much!” She commented as she spun a little guy around.

“Socializing helps, socializing helps. It’s all got to happen sometime.” I shrug.

“That, and it helps ms. go-getter not blow a gasket. You know what they say about all work and no play!” Her eyes lit up when she thought about that.

“You’ve got to hustle to make a dollar! Besides… You’re just trying to distract me so I won’t cream you.”

As for what Zest was up to… Mostly just chatting, I think? He might have played some Don’t Wake the Llama. Any hope of flirting with his girl was hard-stopped…



By his other girl, who sulked -- he didn’t even give her a kiss hello! Because of his girlfriend, who he’s sensible enough to at least not flirt with in front of his side squeeze. Ah, Zest.



“Booyah! Victory is mine! I warned you! Your girl does not lose!”

It was a good trip.
Stories In Progress:
The Avyan Immortal Dynasty

Offline Shewolf13

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Re: The Avyan Immortal Dynasty - "Fisherman, Ahoy!" (5/3/18)
« Reply #12 on: May 03, 2018, 12:24:37 PM »
Hehehehe, love Miko.  Her and Kestrel are adorable together!  Oh my, Zest XD hehehehe  so looking forward to see how this moves forward!

Offline Deme

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Re: The Avyan Immortal Dynasty - "For Its Own Sake" (5/23/18)
« Reply #13 on: May 23, 2018, 03:26:44 PM »
Chapter 3: For Its Own Sake

So, I head home for a while. Knock out a few drinks. Wonder when Zest’ll get a clue -- about the
baby, I mean. It’ll probably be a few days. But I get a phone call. Now, the big mansion, with the maze is not where I would have a dance party.

But whoever Miko knows, they disagree.


It’s late, but it’s my day off tomorrow; I can manage, and sleep in in the morning. Or something. The night is old, but I’ll only be young… I mean, I’m aiming for twice, in the long run, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves; there’s going to be a lot of in-between I don’t want to regret.

“Besides, it’s useful.”


“Uh duh!” She says, giggling at me. “That’s why I invited you. I figured ‘she doesn’t know who’s who,’ but I’m an expert! So… I’d help. But, you know…”


Some of what she’s saying doesn’t exactly hit home. Because something about it does. It does so much I feel it in my whole body. Her tone is kind and sort of, well, teasing.

But there’s such a certainty to that. I mean, she’s right. It’s true. It’s just -- just that that’s the sort of certainty I have, in my head.



And she’s… really enthusiastic. About helping me out. She was thinking about me.

That’s something you don’t see every day. Is all.

I’m still absorbing that, while she keeps talking.

“It’s no good to think of having fun or meeting people in terms of being useful! They can just be people, for a while. I mean, you’re going to live forever -- you should try to appreciate people for themselves, because they’ll change all the time. Aren’t there people you just like for themselves?”

“It’s not like they’re separate,” I say, laughing. “Or that’s all I think about. Right now, I’m pretty deep in a fight. It’s hard to take my eyes off the prize.”

She pauses mid-swing of her hips, as if the music had frozen. She looks at me for a long time, picking back up the beat; compared to me, she has a pretty strong musical sense.

“You didn’t answer~” Like she’s got something on me.

Shoot. Shoot. Maybe she does. Maybe she does.

Let’s review:

She digs me; let’s not beat around the bush about it. I can’t blame her or anything…

But she gets that that’s a bad move for her, right?



I like her laugh for its own sake; I like her colorful taste for its own sake; I like the way she teases me for its own sake. But that’s not enough. She dreams of love and freedom and wild oats; there are a lot of things she wants that I can’t give. And I’m not…

Oh, plumbob.

“Okay, okay. Here’s my answer.”




I’ll fight for someone who has my back like this.

She kisses me back, her hand draping up across my shoulder. The music’s gone; the laser-light is blinding. She’s got strawberry-kiwi lipgloss. Perfect.

“Look,” I say, the moment we part. “Look. I get that this sort of permanence might not be your bag, but -- I -- I really do like you and we’d make a good team, so…” It’s too late. I shake my head. This wasn’t a bad idea, or anything, but I should have made a plan so I could make a better case.

“You don’t have to be so defensive, you know. I can see a lot of appeal -- and wouldn’t it be a problem for you?”

“Don’t just turn me down like that. It wouldn’t be. Look, I… I can’t make a case this late at night. Think about it, OK?”



She giggles, and snakes her arms around me.

“I will. I promise, promise, cross my heart and stick a needle in my eye, I won’t make a choice I regret.”

So I don’t exactly remember how I get home? There weren’t even any drinks, I was just dead on my feet, which is unfair.

When I wake up, I start planning my case. But when Miko asks me out to a lunch at a seafood place…



We just talk for a while. Just relax. I order the wine for both of us; I listen to her explain the connection between modern “ready-made” art and a show about rocks that sounds cute, especially put in her excited, bouncy tones.




The lunch is over by the time I make my move. Well, my non eyelash-batting move. Decidedly not the ol’ reach-around.. I don’t get jitters, but I might have had them, a little, waiting for her to come out from the bathroom.

“OK, here’s my pitch. Yeah, things are a little sparse right now; but we’re going up in the world, and you can count on me to earn our keep. If we time it right, I can watch the kid; I’ve got people to watch the kid. You can trust me not to sleep around.”

“What poetry… But what about you as a person?” She’s teasing me. “Doesn’t it matter if I like you?”

“Well, I would hope you would; I mean… I am pretty awesome. But... do you?”

She fidgets for a second with her hat, her face a blur of pink hair and pink blush.

“I like that sleekness you have! It’s cool!... But sometimes you just sort of expose some other part of you.  It’s like a window to a star. It’s kinda sweet and... kinda lonely. And I...I really love that person. I want to let that star in.” She finds her courage. “I love you!”

Love?! Really?...Heh. She's really surprised me.

“But I understand why playing the field is important to you; I can’t just sell you to come and live with me forever on the back of that!”

“Sure you can! You could swoop me up in your arms and say ‘Darling, come away with me! We can woohoo in the shade of blossoming trees and I will preen for you like a peacock on display!  Let me dazzle you in my dreams! I will remember your name when men are but fairytales in books written by rabbits!’ And I would say...”

“You would say?” I lean forward, until the space between us is very close.

“Well, wouldn’t you have to ask me the right way? I want to hear what Kestral feels; not what you’ve rehearsed.”


“Right. Right! It’s not ‘come away with me,’ we can save the blossom trees, but...”



“When you’re going on about something, it’s like a jewel.I can do anything if you’ve got my back. When I touch your hand, I want to grab it and make you forget about ever wanting anyone else… But more than that...”



“I need someone in my life -- and there’s no one I want it to be but you. Will you marry me?”

It wasn’t the sort of place you could imagine for a proposal, the kitchen of a busy seafood place. It was kind of perfect. She really surprised me.


“Sure! Let’s do it!”

She slips the ring on and beams, and then throws herself, to the surprise of the kitchen staff, into my arms.



“Okay! Now, we away to the casbah!” I spin her around, and out the door we go.

When she moved in after that (we’re not married yet), she brought one of her roomates with her, Akira. The teen girl? Optional. Fantastic. Akira himself? Not bad.

 I ask her what she’ll plan next, since this will mess with her old dreams:


 “Since I can’t express my wild side with romance, I’ll do it with art. For now, anyway…. It probably suits me about as well!”

I kind of wonder what made her think of serial romantic in the first place. I get its appeal, but not why just yet.



We remake our room to something full of her personal flair. I don’t know if we’ll have the look forever, but I want it to feel like her home.




And I throw the first of, let’s be honest, probably many dinner parties. Knock that out; I need to get Silver minimum, but I can hit gold without breaking my stride, going for an early dinner.

 It’s really fun, having a bunch of people over, the dance music playing over my bar... watching Zest flirt.



“Those highlights are tickle-me-pink, right?”
“Hot pink, my man,” Candy says slyly.
“Are you sure? I’m positively tickled by them. And your hair certainly says ‘tickle me’ to me.”
Well, I think that’s flirting. Who can say? It’s a vision of an alien world.
“Try and keep up, Johnny,” is Candy’s answer as she dances forward.



 And more than flirt. Zest is a total dog, and if he were not, I think I would have to make him.


“I just moved in, and I’ll tell you -- this is a funny little place. The rooms are so tiny, they’re mostly beds,” Akira was explaining to Ulrike outside, the music drifting over him.

“If it’s a good bed, that’s at least nice, right? Maybe you can make it more your thing.”

“Yeah, maybe. I hope so.”

And me? I’m talking to my girl a while.


“Oooh, ooh. You did get a dress like mine!”
“I did. Cooler colors, though -- even if the pattern’s not as cute.”
“It looks nice, though. I couldn’t picture you in a dress before.”
I forget if that coffee counted as a drink for the nonsensical and almighty party council, judge of social occasions. Well, the party council of public opinion, anyway.

“Babe? Today’s been… Really special. Magical, even.” I caress her soft cheek.
“It’s been a whirlwind, alright! You’re nonstop, aren’t you?”
“Absolutely."


This isn’t *that* Woohoo, I mean, I’m not really where I’d like with my career… But there are some things that just won’t wait.

But this isn’t all smooching pretty girls; with the party gilt and the night won, I learn of just one other victory:


Gino’s caught us our first Angelfish. We’re getting on our way.
Stories In Progress:
The Avyan Immortal Dynasty

Offline Shewolf13

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Re: The Avyan Immortal Dynasty - "For Its Own Sake" (5/23/18)
« Reply #14 on: May 23, 2018, 03:49:19 PM »
Awww, that was too cute!  I love Kestral and Miko.  They are too perfect for each other.

 

anything