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Wednesday, 11 November 2009
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A Horror of a Legacy, Part 3: Marion
"Electric bills? Why are we still getting these? The little electricity we use is from a generator! Oh, well, this will be good kindling if we ever need a fire."
Armando was startled to see a green-clad stranger on his sidewalk.
"Oh, hey, I didn't see you there."
"I'm General Buzz, and I'm looking for Subject. Is he here?"
"Oh... no, I'm sorry, he died just a few days ago."
"Was it the zombies?"
"Yeah."
General Buzz shook his head regretfully, then went on talking.
"That's a shame, a real shame. Our numbers aren't as high as they used to be, either. Say, how many people are in your household?"
"It's just me and my wife. Why-"
"And neither of you are in the militia? We work hard and put our lives on the line so you can sit around and watch TV all day!"
"We don't have a TV-"
"Point is, you should be patrolling the streets with us. It's a dangerous world out there. Zombies would be running amok in this town if it wasn't for us. Now, I'm not saying you have to do anything, but it'd be real selfish of you to sit on your third point of contact while we're out there getting our brains eaten for your safety. I'd like to see either you or your wife or both tomorrow at my house at oh six hundred hours."
"Well, I'll take that into consideration."
"Good. I'm glad we had this talk. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go check and see if my son's playing with dolls again. Something's wrong with that kid."
As Armando climbed down the ladder into his home, he noticed Anne waiting for him with a slight smile on her face.
"Who was that?" she asked.
"The General in charge of the militia. He wants either you or me to join. I guess it makes sense to do, especially now that Nervous is gone. Do you think you'd want to go? You seem much more capable with a sword than I would be."
"Me?" Anne gasped. "I can't! Um... not for a while, anyway."
"Why not?" Armando was puzzled.
"Because- I was planning to tell you today- I'm pregnant, Armando."
"You are?!"
After giving his wife a long congratulatory kiss, Armando leaned back and took a breath.
"That's wonderful!" he said.
Anne's thin smile was replaced by a genuine look of relief. "I'm glad," she murmurred. "I know we hadn't really talked much about having kids. I'm glad you want to have them."
"Yes, I do," Armando agreed. "Don't worry about the militia- I'll join instead of you. You need to stay home and take care of yourself."
At first, Anne didn't think that taking care of herself would be such a high priority, or so time-consuming. But as the first waves of morning sickness hit her, she was forced to reassess that assumption.
Vomiting was unpleasant, but a necessity in her condition. But every time she knelt to worship the porcelain god, she was reminded of Sandy Vijayakar, and how similar her symptoms were to the first stages of zombiism. She knew she hadn't been bitten by one, but the accompanying anxiety caused her to carefully scrub away all the evidence.
To be continued!
Tuesday, 03 November 2009
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A Colorful Alphabet Legacy, Part 12
"Welcome back, fair reader, to A Colorful Alphabet Legacy! I'm Leia Goodytwoshoes- no relation to the Leia Goodytwoshoes in Professor Butters' Squeaky Clean legacy, except by marriage, sort of- and my husband and I will introduce this chapter."
"You are looking rather lovely tonight, my dear. That dress suits you."
"A compliment from you? I feel doubly flattered! But let's not keep the readers waiting: they've come to see the Das- I mean, the Rauscher family, not us!"
*Plink! Plink!*
Who's playing the kiddie keyboard?
Not Beige or Crimson!
"Say 'Mama!'"
"High chair!"
"Oh, close enough!"
"Say 'high chair!'"
"High chair!"
"There you go! I guess you've learned to speak!"
"AAAAAHHH!!! ...Dad?"
But he was gone before she could say anything other than "AAAAAHHH!"
But soon Ash had finished a portrait of Beige.
"She looks mildly bored and dissatisfied."
Hey, don't look at me. I'm not the one who raised her.
As for Beige's husband, Kennedy spent a lot of time at work. He had 12-hour shifts out in space, doing whatever space-faring people do. And when he wasn't working, he was usually skilling for his job.
But somehow Ash got him to sit for a portrait.
"He'll fit right in beside Beige, all moody and impatient!"
Due to a structural abnormality in the walls, Beige's portrait could not hang right beside her husband's. But they were portraits, they depicted the heiress and her spouse, and they were on the walls.
We interrupt your regularly scheduled legacy to bring you a gratuitous cute picture! All together now: "Awww!!" <3
One day, Bronze decided to stop by.
"Bronze! What a wonderful surprise! You dropped in to see your niece and nephew grow up, didn't you?"
"What? Uh, sure!"
"Oh, and I see you achieved your Lifetime Want! Thirty best friends- congratulations!"
Elizabeth Aspir: "I'd like to be his best friend! Rrowr!"
Ash: "Excuse me, but this young man is married!"
Bronze: "Yeah, you tell her, Ma!"
"Happy birthday, Coral! Let's see you as a toddler!"
"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you! I'll blow out the candles for you, happy birthday to you!"
"Cute!"
"Super cute!"
Coral grew up with a personality of 7/1/10/9/8: neat, extremely shy and active, and nice!
"Now it's your turn, little man!"
"Me big?"
"Yes, you big!"
In case I forgot to tell you before, Crimson's stats are: 10/7/4/5/1. Extremely neat, outgoing, and mean. The one nice point lives on!
"Go Crimson!"
"Yeah! Way to grow up!"
This guy's going to be a heartbreaker when he grows up!
"Where are Mom and Dad?"
"Your dad's at work, honey, and your mom... she's probably jumping on a couch or something."
Despite Ken's intense work and skilling schedule, Beige found time to go on date after date with him. Incidentally, I also found out that 50 dream dates is A LOT OF DATES HOLY CRAP I CAN'T BELIEVE BLUEBELL HAS THE SAME LTW.
These dates also had a not entirely unexpected consequence.
Levitation? No.
Babies? Yes.
"Ken, dear? I need to talk to you about something."
"Of course. What's up?"
"I think this needs to be our last baby."
"What?! Why? You know I've always wanted a big family!"
"Well, the Narratrice was talking to me yesterday, and she said that I can't have that many kids. Something about how she hated playing that many through college."
"But she doesn't have the final say, does she? It's our family. And there's nothing better than having lots of kids, playing video games with them, taking them out for ice cream..."
"Ken, you're barely home to spend any time with the kids we do have. Anyway, this is just the way it has to be. I'm sorry."
"Beige! Look, you're making me glitch through my hair in sadness!"
"It'll be okay, don't worry."
"Well, I guess so. As long as I have you, and the babies."
"You definitely do have us. And you know what... *whisper whisper*"
"Mommy? Daddy? Wat doin'?"
"We're... we're having special Mommy-Daddy time, hon. Now why don't you go play with your blocks?"
Kennedy hated the idea of only having three children. But was there anything he could do about it? He wouldn't go against the wishes of the Narratrice and his wife... or would he?
"Ooh, somebody made cheesecake! And with fresh strawberries from the garden! Mmm!"
Ash? Why are you just standing there, looking sad? You're not going to die, are you?
"I want to Ask Sim on a Date! I want to Fall in Love! I want to talk to Archie!"
*Sigh*... well, there's only one way to fulfill all of those in short order. I'm sorry, Archie.
"Well, hello there, young man! You look tense. Would you like a backrub?"
"Okay, but don't call me 'young man,' okay? You sound like my grandmother."
"Don't be silly. Just because I'm a grandmother doesn't mean I can't show you a good time!"
Beige: "Whoa. Mom totally wants to kiss that guy."
Kennedy: "Heh heh, looks like Beige and I aren't the only ones going on dates around here!"
Archie: "Whoo! Beige is hot!"
Ash: "What did you say?"
Archie: "I mean... you're hot! You're one smokin' grandma!"
Ash: "That's right! And do you know what I can do really well?"
Ash: "I can tickle the ivories with the best of 'em!"
Crimson: "Hey, Mister! Do you like to play games?"
Archie: "Um, yeah, sure!"
Crimson: "Will you play catch with me?"
Archie: "Uh... what's that sound?"
"Oooh... ohhh... OWWW!"
"So, we're not going to WooHoo then?"
"OF COURSE WE'RE NOT GOING TO WOOHOO YOU STUPID MAN I'M GIVING BIRTH WHAT DO YOU THINK!!"
Beige: "Oww! Oh, this hurts!"
Archie: "Be strong! Hold on, for all of our sakes!"
"Whew! It hurts a lot, but at least it's over before you know it."
"Are you sure that's all?"
"Huh? Yeah- why would there be more? Oh, wait..."
Ash: "Hurry! The suspense is causing me to put my head through the door!"
Crimson: "Are you Mom's boyfriend?"
Archie: "Isn't this an awkward time to ask something like that?"
"It's another baby! It's twins!"
"What a surprise!"
The completely unexpected twins (yeah, right >.>) were a girl and a boy. Kennedy held the girl, named Chartreuse, and Beige lifted the boy, Copper, high in the air.
The time had come and gone for Archie to leave, but as he turned to go, he realized that something was different. He didn't realize it just then, but Archie was in love.
Kennedy: "Whoa! When did you get here?"
Leia: "A couple of minutes ago. You looked lost in thought, so I waited for an opportunity to talk without interrupting you."
Kennedy: "Oh. Well, you're the Narratrice's Simself, aren't you? Is this about the cheesecake thing? Am I in trouble?"
"No man is an island, Kennedy."
"Yeah, I- wait, what does that have to do with anything?"
"I don't know."
"Anyway, what I was sent to tell you is that the Narratrice is pleased with you."
"What, really?"
"Yes. She admires your ingenuity and cunning. Actually, she already liked you because of your nice, shy personality and the unusual genetics you brought to the family. But all the same, if you knock Beige up again, it's the cowplant for you."
"Urp... understood."
Leia: "Now, I have to be going, but before I do, I just have to say- can you believe Rongarr lost all his hair?!"
Kennedy: "I know! He looked just like an old fart!"
Ash: "I can hear you, you know, and I don't think my husband was an old fart."
Leia: "Whoops, look at the time! I have to run! See you later!"
Now is the time for more cute toddler and child pictures.
"Pony!"
Beige: "Here comes the tickle monster!"
Coral: "Heehee! No no no, stop!"
"Okay."
"Umm... do it again!"
Isn't Crimson adorable? He looks just like Beige (luckily- good thing she and Gunnar have the same coloration!). I think that appearance looks as good or better on a guy as on a girl.
"Good morning!"
It's always a good day when you wake up with cuteness!
Since Coral and the twins' birthdays were coming up, and on the same day, which happened to be close to Halloween, Beige decided to have a costume party. She chose a medieval theme, which was totally her own decision, and had nothing to do with the fact that the Narratrice had downloaded a lot of beautiful (and some mediocre) medieval clothes for her Royal Kingdom Challenge (which never gets played anymore).
"Round up the usual suspects! No, no, there's no problem. We're having a party! Beige says to wear old clothes, so do that. See you then!"
Archie and Bronze were the first to arrive.
Archie: "Wow! Beige looks great in medieval dress!"
Bronze: "That's my sister you're talking about!"
Archie: "Um... hey, look, I'm rolling up the want to Get Engaged to Ash!"
Bronze: "That's my mother you're talking about!"
Archie: "I'm just going to stop talking now."
Ash: "Ooh, look at you in your costume! Aren't you handome!"
Bronze: "Hey, Mom! Look at me! I dressed like a Tudor king! ...Mom?"
The rest of the guests arrived shortly thereafter, and started misbehaving immediately. I guess ACR kicked in the second they all arrived.
"What's the deal with these masks? Everyone can tell who we are anyway!"
"I don't think you understand just how attractive full-face makeup can be."
Yes, Bartolomeo's the one with Full Face Makeup for a turn-on. I didn't understand it either, until I downloaded all these beautiful masks, mostly from MST2.
While other people made out with their respective spouses, Bronze danced with Miriam, his daughter. Aren't they adorable?
And just like at college parties, there's always one person who just sits at the computer the whole time. What's up with that, dude? Don't you have computers where you come from?
In order to get the guests out of the crowded (and hard to photograph) hallway, Beige poured up some drinks in a bar specifically purchased for that occasion. These guys are loaded, so they can do that.
Gem, of course, hit the blended juice right away. I never mentioned it before, but I can't keep her off the stuff. When she was pregnant with James, I practically had to strap her down to keep her from guzzling red juice. I know it doesn't really have an effect on pregnant Sims, but it's the principle of the thing, dagnabbit!
Leia: "Wow, way to not wear the right costume, Opal. You suck at Halloween parties."
Opal: "Soon I too shall feel the weight of elderhood resting cold and heavy upon my shoulders! Why sould I care for parties?"
Leia: "Because occasionally you can wear your pajamas and call it a costume? It worked for me!"
Bluebell: "Mom!"
Gem: "Ash!"
Ash: "Archie!"
Buttermilk: "I like soup!"
Cecil: "I'll enjoy your beverages of questionable alcoholic content so as not to offend your hospitality, but really, the only place this sort of drink has is in cooking. I should take salmon marinaded in your poured drinks above actually consuming them."
Bluebell: "If that's true, then why have you had three already?"
Cecil: "For the sake of your delicate hospitality, of course! Oh, do not look at me so!"
The little girl in the foreground is Dawn Tellerman, Burgundy's daughter.
Dawn: "Why do grown-ups like to drink juice so much?"
You'll understand when you're older.
Of course, all this "juice" swilling had a consequence that could have been easily foreseen: a mad rush to the bathroom, resulting in a traffic jam. This could have been easily averted if the guests had realized that there are four bathrooms in the house, but as we all know, Sims are stupid.
While everyone else was drinking too much and peeing, Archie decided to play the piano. This was smart, because he wasn't killing brain cells or getting into bathroom traffic jams. This was also dumb, because he doesn't have any Creativity points.
Meanwhile, Beige showed us that no matter how shiny her dress is, she still won't act formally.
Archie: "Ash, do you realize you're dancing through the table?"
Ash: "Wooo! No table can keep me from dancing!"
Kennedy: "Yeah, music! I'm going to dance!"
Oh, no. Archie's already assaulting our ears- don't assault our eyes, too!
Beige: "Here, Ken, I'll show you how to dance. You start out like this..."
Kennedy: "Wow, that bodice sure is low!"
"...and then... are you paying attention?"
"What?"
Crimson: "Look at me! I can jump on the couch too!"
You're doing it wrong!
The rest of the kids spent most of their time upstairs by this Politics podium. From left to right, they are a random townie (in clothing that happened to match the party's theme), Dawn Tellerman, Ezra Das (Bronze's son, Miriam's twin brother), and Lars Das (Bittersweet's son).
Dawn: "You know we're going to have cake in like five minutes?"
Ezra: "I don't care! I'm hungry now!"
Soon it was time for the birthdays to begin- and that meant a really crowded shuffle into the dining room, and then another half-hour of everyone vying for the best spots to see the thrilling climax of the evening.
Honestly, I was kind of hoping that Bluebell would hit it off with one of the two gentlemen there- Archie, or the guy in the black knight outfit. But she didn't talk to either one of them at all. Oh, well.
Beige: "Here goes Chartreuse!"
Buttermilk: "Yeah! Grow up, little niece!"
Beige: "You are way too excited about this, Butt."
Amidst the cheers and a cloud of confetti, Chartreuse became a lovely toddler!
Her stats are: 7/3/9/10/6- neat, shy, extremely playful and active, and pretty nice.
Then she got dumped into a crib so her brother could grow up.
Dragon kid: "Do you like to play soccer?"
Leia: "Sure! Not in a dress, though. And you must get made fun of if you play soccer in a dragon suit."
Dragon kid: "Yeah, they stick my head in the toilet a lot."
Ooh ooh ooh, look! look! Copper has blond hair! I never noticed until now! Yay for genetic diversity!!
Kennedy: "Copper's going to grow up now! Is anyone paying attention?"
Gem's butt: *wiggles*
Jeannie: "Well, this is taking too long. I'm going to get my own food!"
Gem: (doing her best impression of every female character in Fable) "Oh, Buttermilk, you're so norty!"
Look, it's a parade of lovely ladies!
Leia: "Amidst all these dresses with enhanced busts, I must say I'm feeling rather inadequate."
Jeannie: "At least your dress looks comfortable. Between the corset, hoop skirt, and high heels, I'm about ready to tear this thing off!"
Leia: "Must... not... relive... my college experience... must get a grip..."
And Copper grows up with way too long of hair for a toddler! Whew, only one kid left to go.
Ash: "Make way for the birthday girl!"
Leia: "Man, it is just too crowded in here."
Jeannie: "You said it! I think I'm going to step outside to get some air."
Leia: "Stop doing this to me!"
Ding! Party's over! Your guests had a great time!
"Well, I'm out of here."
"See ya."
Buttermilk: "Well, that was fun."
Other Knight Guy: "You said it!
Bittersweet: "Sweet fishpaste, that man is ugly!"
Ash: "Don't worry, Coral, I'm still here to watch you grow up. Alakazam! Turn into a child!"
Coral: "Yay! Thanks, Grandma!"
Beige: "Well, I got this bonfire ready for the party, but it looks like all the guests left. I guess it'll just be a family bonfire. That's good too, right?"
Ash: "Of course it is, dear. I can't think of anyone I'd rather share this bonfire with than you two. And Bittersweet, Burgundy, Bronze, Buttermilk, and Bluebell, of course. And my dear deceased husband. And parents. And my other grandchildren..."
Beige: "Alright, I get it. You're a Family Sim."
Coral: "Being a kid is fun! And tasty!"
Kennedy: "Sorry I'm late, guys. I was just tucking the twins into bed."
Ash: "No need to apologize, dear."
Passerby Townie: "Whoa, who's that hot mama?"
She's a grandma, actually.
"Man, with those clothes and that weird hat, she must be really old."
She was wearing a costume for a Halloween party.
"Wasn't Halloween like three days ago?"
Shut up!
As three generations of Das/Rauscher women gather around the bonfire, another chapter comes to a close. Thanks for sticking with us for this long, and stay tuned for another fascinating installment of A Colorful Alphabet Legacy!
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
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A Horror of a Legacy, Part 2: What Must Be Done
Biff! Pow! Bam! Anne Horror was awakened by the sound of a terrible fight directly outside.
"Get away from me!!" the blonde girl screamed as the desperately tried to fight off the menacing zombie, who only had eyes for her brain.
"Why can't you undead freaks just leave me alone?!" she cried as soon as she was free.
"Hey!" Anne called from the window. "Come in here, quick!"
"That was close. Now, there are swords outside, but we can't get to them without getting closer to the zombie than I want to get right now. I think our best plan is to wait until it leaves, or until Nervous gets back," Anne explained to the newcomer.
"Sounds great. 'Scuse me, but I gotta use your toilet here- urp!"
By the time Nervous arrived, the zombie had left in search of other prey. But he was able to make another conquest: the girl was easily impressed by his strength and ingenuity. In between vomiting spells, he kept her entertained with stories from the militia.
"So, what's your name?" Anne finally asked that evening.
"Sandy Vijayakar! I guess I told Nervous, but not you," Sandy replied as she bounced, apparently intent on destroying one of the only pieces of furniture they owned.
"Where are you from, Sandy? Do you have a family?" Anne inquired.
"Hey- you see this thing on my face? That's a smile. I can't have that if I think about what happened to my family. So I'm going to forget about it, because I want to keep this smile. You know what I mean?"
"I see," Anne said gently, and turned back to her book.
The next day, Anne's sickness hadn't gotten any better. Anne asked Sandy about it, trying give a diagnosis, but all she found was that the illness had started the day before. It could have been from wandering out in the sun for so long, or perhaps the fight with the zombie- Sandy admitted that it had bitten her several times.
When she was able to be up and about, though, Sandy showed her resourcefulness by starting a small garden for the people who had been kind enough to take her in. She was a skilled gardener, and Anne was grateful for her help. Another source of food was always reassuring in these troubled times.
Soon, there was another cause for celebration: Armando and Anne finished the house. After moving some rudimentary furniture inside (some scavenged, some made by Armando or Nervous' friends in the militia), they took a tour to have a critical look at every room. But the thorough job they did left no visible flaws in its construction.
"Anne, you've been the bright spot in my day for over a year now. You know how much I love you. Now that our house is finished, will you marry me?" Armando asked as he knelt and humbly offered her a scavenged gold ring.
"B-but how?" Anne found herself wondering. "There aren't any churches open, or anything like that..."
"We'll have our own ceremony. Invite Nervous and that blonde girl. And we'll say whatever vows we like, and exchange rings- I already found some. Will you do this for me?"
"Of course! Oh, Armando, I love you so much!" she cried as she leapt into his arms.
Then, with a boundless joy and energy, as if they hadn't been hauling furniture all day, Armando and Anne christened their new bedroom.
Upstairs, Nervous and Sandy thought that since Armando and Anne were busy in the downstairs bedroom, they would spend some time together in the upstairs one. But before they could engage in any revelry, Sandy was seized by a terrible coughing fit. It was more intense and lasted longer than any she'd had yet.
To Nervous' horror, Sandy collapsed in a heap on the ground, gasping for air and convulsing uncontrollably.
"Sandy! What do I do?!" he sobbed, watching her writhe in pain and unable to think of anything to ease it.
The attack went on and on, but she wouldn't or couldn't die. Finally, her coughing subsided into a ghostly wheezing, and she stood up- but something wasn't right. Her back wouldn't straighten, her limbs flopped about, and as if from a lack of breath, her skin had turned a sickly blue color. Sandy had become a zombie.
Before Nervous could react, she shuffled out the door and away.
Nervous stepped gingerly out onto the porch, then sat down calmly, and had a complete nervous breakdown. "Sandy!" he cried. "Sandy, come back!"
The next day, while staying home from the militia meeting due to ill (mental) health, and absent-mindedly building snowmen, Nervous got his wish.
"Sandy? No- it's not you! You're a zombie now! I need to kill you, for the good of the neighborhood!"
"I have to do it. You're dangerous now, deadly! Even though your eyes are the same... and that growl sounds oddly reminiscent of your voice. Oh, Sandy, are you still in there at all? Why do I have to be the one to do this?"
"Sandy? Sandy! It's me, Nervous, remember? I think you loved me. I know I loved you... and I still do! Sandy, there's got to be a way. You're in there somewhere."
"Oh, I knew it! You don't have to speak. Just keep looking in my eyes. I can tell you haven't changed that much! You're still my Sandy! ...Sandy?"
The glimmer in his eyes that he recognized as the woman he loved slowly turned back into a maddened glare, and she lunged for him.
"No! Sandy, don't do this! Stop it!" Nervous screamed. They fought, and he escaped; she chased him into the shack and fought him again. He managed to keep her jaws away from his skull, and escaped a second time, into Armando and Anne's house.
"Anne! Anne! You're the genius scientist, right? You have to help me find a way to get Sandy back to normal!" Nervous panted, dropping his sword on the ground.
"Has she returned?" Anne asked.
"Yeah- she's in the shack! She was trying to get to my brains before, but I know she didn't mean it. If I can get her turned back..."
"Wait. She attacked you? Did she bite you?"
"Yes and yes, but not in the head. I'm still alive, and that's all that matters."
Anne stared at her friend. Out of everyone she knew who was still alive, he'd been with her the longest. Slowly, her eyes hardened.
"Anne? Anne, what's wrong? You can do it, can't you?"
"Anne? What are you- no!" Nervous screamed as Anne grabbed the sword. He raced up the ladder, but once upstairs, Anne ran him through in one clean motion. He collapsed on the floor and quickly expired.
A second later, Anne began to sob uncontrollably.
"Nervous... Nervous, what have I done?" she wept. Her best friend lay crumpled in a heap on the floor, as dead as the feet that stood beside him... the blue, flaking feet that stood beside him...
After a short chase, Anne cut down the zombie as well. She hadn't known Sandy as well, and her horrifying appearance made it easier to kill her. But she knew that Nervous' death would stay with her.
Over the next few days, Anne couldn't sleep. She could barely choke down even her favorite meals. The only bright spot in her life was Armando, and the wedding... but how could she get married when she had just killed the only witnesses?
Outside the door of their new home, Armando reassured his bride.
"You did what you had to do," he said. "If you hadn't, we'd both be dead- or worse. You were strong and courageous when you needed to be. And it doesn't change how much I love you. In fact, I admire you a little more now."
"You always know what to say," Anne smiled. She pulled a ring out of her pocket. "Shall we get started?"
"...til death do us part."
Even if they had nothing else in this world, Anne and her new husband had each other. And that was good enough to outweigh a whole army of zombies. -
A Horror of a Legacy, Part 1: No Love for Nervous
No matter how desperate of a situation the world is in, no matter how many people are in fear for their lives, no matter how the sunlight of security is darkened by the clouds of danger, until the very last day of human existence, the mail will still run.
"Bills?" Anne wondered. "Do we even have to pay these anymore? Hmm... I'll leave it for Nervous to deal with."
Anne and Nervous coexisted, and slowly developed a comfortable friendship. When they lived with scarcity, fear, and cramped quarters (such that they had to share the only bed they'd been able to find), it was either cooperate, or spend the days fighting.
Anne's days were filled with domestic chores, mixed with occasional bouts of scavenging for food and other necessities. She saw no zombies, and slowly grew bolder in wandering from home.
Once she felt too cooped up in her tiny shack, she made a journey to the nearest public place: a small group of stores about a mile from the house. It was mainly deserted.
Soon, however, she saw someone else looking for things to scavenge. Another survivor! To Anne, there could never be enough of them.
"Hello!" she said, throwing caution to the wind, in the middle of an abandoned grocery store."
"Oh- hey there. Wow, it's good to see another face. I've been all alone since my wife died," the stranger told her, all in a rush.
"I'm so sorry," Anne said automatically. "Was it..."
"The zombies? Yes. It was quick, at least. I managed to drive them off and get her buried. They didn't disfigure her body at all. They do that, you know. Tear the heads open- oh! I'm sorry. That isn't something to be telling a lady."
"Not at all," Anne gave a wry smile. "I'm a scientist- well, I was. The lab got overrun."
"Ah. Well, I'm Armando Cox. What's your name?"
"Anne Horror."
"So, I don't really know the etiquette here," Anne confided in her new friend. "Is it alright to take things from the grocery store? I know the owners will have fled, but it just feels like stealing."
"I try to take things no one will miss," Armando answered. "And things that will rot soon. If things go back to normal soon, I plan to tell the owners what I took and pay them back."
"That's a good plan," Anne admitted. "I won't take more than I need, in any case."
"I think so. Say, you haven't seen any double-A batteries around here, have you? I'm trying to build a short wave radio."
"You know how to make those?!" Anne gasped.
"Sure," Armando shrugged with a small smile. "I like building things."
Their conversation continued into the afternoon. Anne decided that she liked this soft-spoken, plain man, whose grief and survival instincts had led him to put together as many mechanical devices as he could think of. They exchanged addresses, and she invited him to come and visit her soon, face-to-face contact being the only kind of communication available just then. Armando would have returned the offer, had his neighborhood not been so thick with zombies.
Before she returned home, Anne noticed one thing that bothered her. Something about the security cameras, silent eyes watching the store, stood out in her mind, but it wasn't until she was home that she realized what it was: their red lights were still on. Didn't those things run on batteries? Surely they would have run out by now, with no one to replace them. Well, perhaps they really plugged into the wall- the electricity was still working, after all.
While Anne was out, Nervous was meeting new people, too. In the absence of a military or police force to protect them from their most imminent threat, some of the town's residents had banded together to form a militia. General Buzz was out recruiting when he saw the mohawked young man. Mohawks, he knew, were the hair style of choice for manly men.
"So, Subject, are you joining or not?"
"Well, I don't know. I've never held a gun, and whenever I see a zombie, I freeze in place..."
"What is that?! What kind of a wimpy little girl are you? My grandmother could look a zombie in the eye without flinching, and she's in a wheelchair! I have no use for cowardly, sniveling little wimps like you!"
"Alright, alright, I'll join! Just stop yelling at me!"
"Good. I expect to see you at oh six-hundred hours tomorrow morning, with a different attitude. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some petunias to water."
Despite General Buzz's browbeating, Nervous found his time at the militia meetings fulfilling enough to return every morning. Some citizens who weren't sufficiently sound of body to join bought the militia's protection with food they'd grown in their gardens, so Nervous sometimes returned home with boxes of fresh fruits and vegetables.
They set up schedules for members to patrol the borders of the city and respond to reports of zombie attacks. They even patched together camouflaged uniforms. The only problem was weapons.
Buzz was the only one who owned a gun, and try as they might, they couldn't find any others. No one had any idea of how to make one. But the militia members needed weapons if they were going to be at all effective against the zombies. It fell to Nervous, the newest member, to find or make something they could use.
Nervous looked at the scraps and tools he had, and pondered. Soon the sounds of pounding and scraping could be heard from the back of the house.
In the end, Nervous emerged with a long piece of metal with sharp edges on both sides, and a handle that could be safely gripped. It was a crude sword. He immediately began to fashion more for the militia, but kept one at home for himself. He never knew when he might need it.
Colder weather (and a nearly-new jacket scavenged from the clothing store) brought another visit from Jenny. Anne suffered herself to be kissed on both cheeks, European-style.
"Anne! You're looking so healthy! How do you keep that rosy glow in your cheeks? It's so hard to find healthy food nowadays, isn't it? Let alone shampoo and conditioner, and I'm down to my last stick of lip balm, but that's okay, as long as we're all still here! Oh, and have you heard that they started up a militia in town? My husband's too old to join, and I know they want women to join too, but that's just not my style, you know? Too much getting dirty and not running away when you see zombies- it's not for me at all. Anyway, I have to be getting back home- Polli here has to stop to pee so often- elder bladders, you know how it is- or maybe you don't- but it was great seeing you! Say hi to Nervous for me!"
Then she was gone, leaving a bewildered Anne in her wake.
The rest of Anne's night did not go particularly well.
But the next day, Nervous' afternoon was almost much, much worse. He returned home from his patrol to see what looked like someone skulking around his work station, possibly to steal one of the swords that had taken so much time and effort to make. Upon further inspection, however, he noticed a blue-gray tint to the person's skin. Her slouching gait and putrefying odor confirmed it: she was a zombie.
Raising the sword he'd brought home with him, Nervous struck without hesitation, and killed his first zombie. What thoughts went through the new warrior's mind as he gazed at the heap of ashes that had been a terrifying threat only seconds before? He stood quietly for a moment, then put his sword away and headed inside.
After several days, Armando finally came to visit Anne. He appeared just as the sun was going down, with a quiet smile on his face and a gift in his hands.
"Armando! I'm so glad to see you!" Anne exclaimed, with a curious look at the box he held.
"I'm sorry I took so long to come around," Armando blushed.
"It's okay. Were the zombies thick where you were?"
"Not especially- I just wanted to finish this before I came over. It's for you. It's a miniature generator."
"It's- you made an electrical generator? For me?!" Anne was stunned.
"Just a small one. It should be enough to power some lights, or a refrigerator, or a computer, if the electrical system breaks down."
"I don't know what to say. Thank you."
Armando came to visit regularly after that, always with one present or another for Anne. One time he brought a few pieces of mirror, cleverly framed in metal: Anne used them to augment the candlelight in the bedroom. Another time he brought her some soft new pajamas- they were so superior to her old lab coat, now growing coarse with time, that she never wanted to take them off.
She felt a little guilty that she didn't have anything to offer him in return, but Armando said that her friendship kept him from being lonely. Her cooking wasn't bad too, and he said that he'd been living on canned soup since his wife died.
As for Nervous, his days were mainly taken up with his patrols. His dedication had earned him a position of higher standing in the militia, and a carpool with Matt, who had found a Humvee somewhere.
"I've punched out men twice your size before!" Renee Anderson bragged. "No zombie could escape my flying fists of fury!"
"You, ah, sure look impressive," Nervous stammered. He wondered less about how she could fight in a skirt and more about how she could look so cute while getting ready to potentially deck him.
"So, do you want to come see my house? I could make you some lunch- it'd be nice- you're, uh, really pretty..." he stumbled over his words.
"Oh- I just wanted to join the militia. I don't have time for house-looking. But you'll put in a good word for me with the General, won't you?" Renee babbled, trying to hide the fact that she found Nervous utterly unappealing.
"Um, sure..." Nervous was left standing awkwardly as she hurried off.
His disappointment was short-lived, because he met an even prettier young lady later that evening.
"So, with all these zombies and stuff, it's kind of like we're living in a sci-fi movie or something!" he told Crystal Vu, desperately trying to think of something to say before he grew too absorbed in the fascinating tan lines on her ample chest.
"Yeah!" Crystal agreed enthusiastically. Her bosoms bounced and swayed in an eye-catching manner. "Only we get to write it!"
"Unless we die, of course," Nervous amended his earlier statement.
"Yeah. I guess that part isn't so cool."
"It's pretty dangerous out there. Do you want to stay the night at my place?"
"Oh, no, I couldn't."
"Then why don't I walk you back to your house?"
"Mr. Subject, I just don't like you that way. I'm going home now," Crystal told him directly, and left. Needless to say, Nervous had a miserable night. But he awoke in the morning with an idea.
"Nervous?" Anne looked up from her science journal. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Isn't it obvious?" he grinned. "You and me! We'd be great together! You're so smart, and I'm so... well, we work well together, and we already rely on each other. What do you say?"
"Have you been out in the sun too long?" Anne almost said, then bit her lip. She could see that Nervous was serious.
"Um... I'm just not ready for a romantic relationship right now. I mean, you're a great guy and all. I just can't. I'm sorry." She had a good excuse, but she still had to watch his face fall in disappointment.
The next day, Armando came to visit again.
"I love the pajamas you gave me! Look, I couldn't even stand to change out of them today!" Anne gushed. Armando gave her his soft smile.
"I didn't bring you a gift this time," he said, "but I have an idea."
"Tell me- your ideas are always good."
"I need to move out of my house- there are more zombies in the area every day. It just isn't safe to stay. And this shack isn't a good place for you- the walls are cracking, the foundation isn't sound, and if a zombie crawled onto the roof, they'd break right through. So my proposition is this: I'll build you a new house, one that should be much better at keeping the zombies out, if you'll let me live there with you."
Anne was speechless. Armando took the opportunity to keep going.
"It won't be easy- I'll need your help, and it'll take a long time. But it'd be a safe house. I have good designs drawn up."
"Y-yes!" Anne exclaimed. "Of course! How could I refuse an offer like that? It would be absolutely wonderful!"
Armando looked outside at the place where he planned to build the new house, right beside the old shack.
"This is going to take a lot of work," he decided. He was right.
After one week of hard labor, he and Anne only had the foundation laid. But it was strong and sturdy, and it was a beginning.
The weeks passed busily. Armando referred to his plans and showed Anne what to do every step of the way. Nervous often came home with food, and often had to cook it himself, because Anne was too exhausted to make anything.
One mid afternoon, when Armando had been working by himself, getting the walls up, Anne approached her hardworking friend.
"You've been out in the sun all day. Why don't you come inside and have some lunch, or at least a drink of water?" she suggested.
"Anne, you're a sight for sore eyes," he replied, and reached out to give her a hug. Somehow their embrace became closer than he had intended, but neither Armando nor Anne minded very much.
One thing led to another, and they spent the rest of the afternoon in each other's arms. Despite every reason they had not to come together, they found that they simply couldn't resist each other.
Work on the house progressed a little more slowly after that- they spent the mornings working hard, but before the sun neared the horizon each day, they had found one excuse or another to set their tools down and head inside for the afternoon.
One day, they fell asleep together. Nervous returned from his patrol, only to see Anne and Armando in the bed.
"I guess she really was ready for a relationship," he mused to himself as he went about his chores. He tried not to mind it, but an air of melancholy stayed with him for a long time.
Monday, 26 October 2009
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A Colorful Alphabet Legacy, Part 11
Whoo! Pregnant and smustling! I'm pregnant and I'm smustling!
"Look, dear, I made you a delicious baked Alaska! You don't know how long it took me to get 10 cooking points."
"Yes, yes. Are you about to give birth soon?"
"Not for a few more hours."
"Then I shall be off to work."
"Wait, don't you want to take off work to see the birth? Or have some dessert? Cecil?"
A few hours later...
"It's a boy! I'll name him... Ambrose."
"It's a sufficiently formal name, don't you think? Cecil should like it."
If he ever returns home, that is.
"'If he ever...' What nonsense. He has a busy work schedule. And it's not as though I have anything to hide, no, nothing at all. That he needs to know about."
Meanwhile, across town...
Bittersweet and Bartolomeo Das were also having a fruiful week.
Bittersweet had given birth to a beautiful boy named Lars. He had her black hair and Bartolomeo's delicately slanted eyes.
"Wheee! Higher, Mommy!"
"No, you'll get stuck in the mobile!"
Across town, Buttermilk's long day of anticipation had ended. He went to the address Gem had provided, and was surprised to see a sizeable mansion there. But mostly he was just glad to see her.
"So, what's the thing I need to know? I'm dying of suspense!"
"Wait right here. I'll be right back."
"Mmm, kissing... whoa, what's that?"
"It's a toddler. You're a family Sim, so you should know that! And his name is James."
"Where did he... I mean... is he yours? Who's the father?"
"Pollination Technician Number Five."
"Are you serious?!"
"I told you I like to stargaze. Well, one night a few months ago, I got caught in some kind of tractor beam."
"I was taken away in some kind of UFO, and, to tell the truth, I don't really know what happened after that. I just have a vague memory of green people and being poked and prodded in uncomfortable places."
"They kicked me out in the small hours of the morning- not too gently, either- and there I was, bruised, embarrassed, and pregnant."
"Not long after, I had my little boy. I named him James after Captain Kirk from Star Trek- it just seemed the thing to do."
"But... why isn't he green?"
"I don't know. But I do have custom skin- it must be very dominant."
"I thought only men could get, um, pollinated by aliens."
"The narratrice told me that she has a hack allowing female Sims to get pregnant when they get abducted, too. Anyway, if you don't believe me, look at his eyes."
"You're right- they're freaki... um... I mean, they're alien-eye-shaped."
"Do you believe me?"
"Yes. In any case, I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt."
"Do you love me?"
"Definitely."
"Then, will you marry me?"
"Oh- it's so shiny! Look at that! Is there a little LED light in there or something?"
"Answer the question! I'm the one dying of suspense now!"
"Of course I'll marry you, Gem. I've had it in my Want Panel for some time now, anyway."
"Thank you."
While Buttermilk was busy wooing his woman, back at Hoh house, Adelaide was doing pretty much the opposite of that...
"All the free pizza I can eat, you say?"
"Yes! And we have a bubble blower!"
"What the heck? I'm in!"
...if the opposite of getting engaged is getting ugly men to join your Greek House and putting them into gorilla heads with the intention of turning them into cowplant fodder.
"This is awesome!"
"Yup! Things are looking pretty bright for us, Mitch!"
Unfortunately, all that night, Adriana's ghost showed up and fed the cowplant... again and again. All night. Needless to say, it was not hungry the next day. And had probably gained like a billion pounds.
So Adriana had to do things the old-fashioned way.
Now you see it...
...now you don't!
It was a slower death, but it was worth it because of how completely stupid they looked, in addition to the fact that they should be able to just climb out of the pool. It's their own faults, really.
"Mitch, why did you have to die?! Oh, well, I guess I'll go for a swim..."
Back at the Das House, more lives were beginning: Beige and Kennedy's life together, and the life of their (well, okay, her) baby.
Ash and Rongarr took the wedding party as an opportunity to have a date, and generally not act like elders.
Kennedy: "Good morning, hon'."
Beige: "Morning."
"How are you feeling?"
"Fine."
"Would you like a foot rub?"
"I- what? Uh, sure!"
"There, I'm sure your back gets sore from carrying a baby around."
"That feels wonderful."
"So, have you thought of any names?"
"Well, not really, yet."
"Your mom told me about the naming theme for your family, so I was thinking about Crimson. That would work for a girl or a boy. What do you think?"
"If you keep rubbing right there, you can name the baby whatever you want."
Kennedy had some sci-fi career, so he flew to work! Whee!
The only bad thing about this is that when "go to work" appears in his queue, he has to go right then- if you click it off, he can't go to work that day. Not even with a car- you can't drive to space, apparently.
Soon, Beige gave birth to a healthy baby boy! He looked just like her (which is good).
Following a time-honored Das tradition, she promptly laid him on the floor.
"Yes!"
Yes what?
"I get to make the bed!"
Well, I'm glad to see that you have your priorities in order.
When Kennedy got home, he was the first to feed Crimson Rauschere, the first baby of Generation C (in the heir line, anyway).
Elsewhere in the house, people were busy making friends to help Rongarr top his career and achieve his LTW.
...and for other reasons.
"I like the bear paw on your shirt. It makes you look manly and rugged."
"That's why they call me Komei 'Manly and Rugged' Smith!"
Of course, Bluebell didn't get along with every boy she met.
"Owww! Uncle! Uncle!"
"Say you were wrong, and green really is my color!"
"Neve- ow! Okay, fine, I was wrong! You look great in green! Now let me go!"
Finally, Rongarr became Chief of Staff.
"I feel so carefree! So light!"
It must be all the hair you're missing.
"Oh... I don't feel happy anymore."
He also picked up a disease from the hospital. Thanks, work.
If you're about to puke, go lay down!
"No, it's this poster! I can't believe we have such garbage in the baby's room!"
Hey, that's my favorite movie!
About this time, Beige began the house-wide sprint to the farthest bathroom. You know what that means!
...that it's Crimson's birthday? Oh, well, that's good, too.
"Look how cute you are!"
"Me coot!"
Look at his little tux! And... what?! Another kid with one nice point? Grrr!
"Look, your hair's so much cuter now!"
"Ssove off!"
"That's my little one-nice-point nephew!"
Where was Beige during all this? Well, she was enjoying something I had completely forgotten about: snapdragons made by Adriana back in college! Yes, she could lay back and relax for her entire pregnancy. If she was that lazy.
"Do you have dry, red eyes?"
"N... no... why would I?"
Ash and Rongarr enjoyed yet another date.
"Mwah!"
"Who's the one I love the most?"
"Um, your mom?"
"No, it's you!"
"Humph... something doesn't feel right!"
Unfortunately, it would be their last.
"Cough! Choke! Gag!"
The disease that Rongarr brought home finally overcame him.
"No! Rongarr, get up! Please get up!"
"I AM SORRY, BUT THIS IS THE WAY IT HAS TO BE."
Despite the fact that he was permaplat, Rongarr died with a plain gray tombstone for some reason.
RIP: Rongarr Das
First Generation Heiress' Spouse
Aspiration: Fortune
LTW: Chief of Staff (achieved)
You were an awesome addition to the family, Rongarr. You were that teenager with the black lipstick; a face-exploded adult; a loving father and grandfather; a good (and often, only) provider; and even when you lost your long hair, you were still awesome. Good bye, Rongarr.
At that moment, Beige got the first bump of her second baby.
"Since that one started to show up at the same time as your dad died, maybe we should name him Rongarr. If it's a boy, of course."
"No, let's stick with the color naming scheme."
"I understand: he would have wanted the Legacy tradition to continue."
"No, Rongarr's just a stupid name. I mean, is it Ron, or Swissgar, or Hrothgar, or what?"
"Don't you miss him, though?"
"Of course I do. He was the only one who ever really loved me. Well, besides Mom. And my siblings. And you."
"Sniff! Rongarr, what will I ever do without you?"
Wear clothes more often?
"Dad... he's gone."
I'm sorry you slept through it. But it probably would have been really sad, anyway, so maybe it's for the best.
"So this one time, I heard your dad..."
Hey! Have some respect for the dead, huh? He hasn't even been dead two days and you're already gossipping about him!
Anyway, Kennedy did his best to distract Beige from her grief by taking her on dates.
Ash filled up her empty days painting undignified pictures of the Narratrice.
Bluebell decided that now would be an excellent time to leave for college.
You're going to put your grieving energy into reading books, writing papers, and lots of studying, right?
"Is 'yes' the right answer?"
Probably not, but I'll accept it.
"Bye, Bluebell! It'll be a lot less teenager-y around here without you!"
"Tell the new baby I said hi!"
Ash: "Well, hello there! You look new!"
Archimedes: "Err, is this a bad time? I can come back later..."
"Not at all! I am determined to meet each and every new member of the neighborhood, no matter what time of the day or night."
"So, what shall we talk about? Food? Weather? Music?"
"Music? I freaking love music! I've got my favourite CD and it's all like DA NA NA NA NA!"
(I just hope he's playing air guitar with his left hand
)
"Hey! Who do you think you are, taking our hard-earned newspaper and turning it invisible like that?! Come back here when I'm yelling at you!"
"Yeah! That's no way to treat a lady of her age!"
"What did you say?"
"Um... that's no way to treat a lady?"
"That's better!"
"Ha ha ha! That was a good joke!"
"Well, I'd better get out of here pretty soon. All these zombies are starting to creep me out."
I'd be careful if I were you, Archie: zombies aren't your only source of danger. Ash here is rolling up the want to fall in love.
Meanwhile, back inside the house, someone was screaming in pain, but that's only to be expected at this point.
Beige soon held a beautiful little girl in her arms.
"I think Coral is a good name. I don't know if I'm ever going to have a girl again, and Coral is a nice, feminine name."
Yay for Enayla's geneticized skins! You never quite know what you're going to get. This little darling also has Kennedy's eyes, although it's hard to see.
Kennedy was the first to feed her, just as he had been with Crimson.
"I'll also probably be the first to change her diaper."
At least there's still a sort of novelty when you haven't changed 507 of her diapers yet.
"Come on, Crimson, say 'mama'!"
"No!"
"Ma-ma!"
"No no!"
This charming picture of Crimson's crankiness and Beige's butt is where I will leave you this time. What will happen next? More babies? More simselves? More zombies? Hey, don't ask me, I don't plan these things in advance. Until next time, happy simming!
princessleia420
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- Name: Leah
- Country: United States
- State: Wisconsin
- Metro: Wausau
- Birthday: 9/20/1987
- Gender: Female
- Member Since: 10/12/2005
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About Me
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I am no longer a somewhat recently-18 girl from the midwest area who enjoys snorkling, attending knitting tournaments, moonlit walks on the beach, and blowing up stuff. Also plotting the demise of people I don't like. That's always fun.
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