Tag Archive | victoria

7.43 Like the wind

In his quest to learn all things landwalker, Jonah decided to take driving lessons. When he was ready to drive on his own, he bought a classic car and spent evenings driving around town.

He insisted on driving with the top down, even as it snowed.

Then he would come home shivering, unbundle himself from his winter wraps, and read to Caspian.

The attention was a good thing for Caspian. When he didn’t get enough of it, he found new ways to make trouble.

Travis’s birthday rolled around.

The household had another little merman.

Caspian now had a playmate. In fact, he might have met his match. He and Travis were immediately joined at the hip.

They did everything together, and not just because they were stuck in the same nursery. They were both expressive kids who couldn’t get enough attention. Now there was always someone around with attention to give.

(Complete with photobomb by diver gnome…)

The Sample household was now essentially all chaos all the time.

The snowdrifts didn’t slow down Winston’s performance schedule. With all the fire and exercise, he didn’t even feel the cold.

He gave himself enough time to shower after a top-rated tent-raiser at the Duke of Bows before he met Emilie for dinner and a movie.

He hadn’t been the luckiest in love, and now that things seemed to be going so well, he didn’t want to give Emilie a chance to slip away.

Uncle Chaim found them outside the theater. “Looking good, my boy!” he called out. “I think she’s a keeper!” Winston tried not to cringe. Emilie laughed.

“If it isn’t my baby cousin,” came a voice from across the plaza.

“Gamora?” Winston said. “Is this a family reunion or something?”

“He’s my uncle too, you know,” Gamora said. “Should I check with you next time we want to meet for coffee?”

“Love you too, cuz,” Winston said.

“Ha ha,” Gamora replied. “Check out my kid. He’s walking and talking and photosynthesizing these days.”

“I like dirt,” Fenton announced and dissolved into giggles.

“That’s basically potty humor for plantsims,” Gamora explained. “You get used to it.”

Winston looked sheepishly at Emilie. “My family is all like this,” he said.

Emilie winked at him. “I already figured that out, she said.”

Jonah Waves Sample should have had everything he wanted in life, but he was starting to feel like he was missing something important.

When his mind wandered, wild horses galloped through his fantasies. They were the most captivating creatures he’d ever seen.

He’d spent enough time around the herd that some of the horses would let him approach them. That was gratifying, but he wanted more.

It hadn’t even occurred to him that there were domesticated horses too. When he discovered Avalon’s equestrian center, the last piece of his life fell into place.

He named his new equine friend Neptune. The stallion was full of energy and motion. It took Jonah’s breath away.

But Neptune would stand still for Jonah to awkwardly pull himself into the saddle.

There. Jonah had completed the first step. That wasn’t too bad.

Then Neptune started to run.

I really wanted our wild spirited, equestrian merman to tame a wild horse and learn to ride with it, but I didn’t realize that you can’t tame a wild horse until you already have a riding skill at Level 5. Jonah spent a lot of time befriending the horses in the wild herd before I discovered this. In retrospect, I probably should have just rolled with it and used Mastercontroller to add the horse to the household. That’s not the way way I rolled though, and Neptune is a fine companion.

I think there should be a mod to remove the riding skill requirement, honestly. It would make civilization-building challenges work better. That could be a really easy mod or a stupidly hard one.

7.42 Chill

Apr9

The next few days were difficult. Vickie and her brothers had lost both their parents now. Everywhere she looked, Vickie saw her mom.

Even cooking was difficult. Especially cooking.

Winston’s sense of loss hit him in the moments he was least prepared for it.

Fortunately he never hurt himself badly.

They took comfort in their family.

Caspian was a growing toddler filled with laughter.

He was always out to be the center of attention, and if he wasn’t, he figured out how to get there.

And then there was another one on the way. Vickie had a lot more cravings with this pregnancy than the last one. Ice cream and pickles at midnight it was.

Jonah couldn’t stop looking at her with those adoring eyes. Vickie had never seen anyone so happy to be a father.

Vickie was checking the mail when she realized it was time again.

This time, she was feeling a bit more fae than usual, so she flew herself to the hospital and told Jonah to catch up with her there. Winston stayed kept an eye on Caspian.

They brought home their second son, Travis Sample.

The parenting routine began again, this time in stereo.

On Snowflake day, they decided to have a gift exchange. Vickie, Jonah, and Winston sent out a long list of invitations, and most friends and family attended.

With an extra surprise who wasn’t on anyone’s invitation list.

In fact, most people didn’t recognize him or guess why he was there. Gamora’s face lit up when she saw him, though. “Uncle Forest! How are the creatures of the night these days?”

Maya Ocean dropped in, as well as Uncle Chaim and his son Hans.

Edmund showed up with a twinkle in his eye. Vickie drew him aside and applied some sisterly pressure, and he admitted that he’d met someone. “It’s just been two dates,” he said. “It might not be anything. Don’t spread any gossip yet.”

“My lips are sealed,” Vickie said. “But you should see your face! Those must have been two great dates.”

“She’s captivating,” Edmund said. “I look forward to introducing her to you…. assuming things continue apace.”

And then there was Joyelle Waves. She came, as inappropriately dressed as ever, and just as oblivious to the cold.

But the chill in the looks she exchanged with Jonah was unmistakable. Reconciliation was clearly not going well.

Everyone gathered around the gift pile, talking and squealing over their gifts.

Caspian turned up the charm to pull attention back to him.

Travis slept in his baby swing.

Joyelle and Gamora struck up an unexpected friendship.

Unfortunately, it mostly seemed to be built around complaining about humans in voices loud enough that everyone could hear.

“Are you all right?” Vickie asked Jonah.

“I’m managing,” he said, but the ache in his heart was clear on his face.

To make things even more tense, Forest waved Jonah over after he’d opened his gift. He wanted to discuss the, um, lavish financial circumstances of the Sample family, and what a bad idea it would be for a penniless interloper to try to get a piece of that wealth by romancing an heiress. Hypothetically speaking, of course.

Jonah had seen better parties. He was ready to send everyone home.

When the party was finally over, Emilie didn’t go home at all. She and Winston slipped up to the attic rec room with their own plans for the evening.

Jonah escorted his mother to the beach behind the house. He returned after Vickie had said the rest of the goodbyes. His expression was bleak.

“What happened?” Vickie asked. “What did she do?”

Jonah looked past her and stared out at the snow swirling beyond the window. “My mother and had a long talk,” he said. “She won’t be attending any more gatherings. I can consider myself in dispersal from my pod. She is not going to accept my choice of life on land.”

“Oh Jonah,” Vickie breathed. “You didn’t have to do this. I don’t know why you–”

Jonah cut her off with a wave of his hand. “I don’t regret a moment. I want to be here. It was my mother’s choice whether to accept me, and she did not. I’m sad she made that decision, but I don’t want to change how I live… or who I live it with.”

“Can you really be happy? With me? Away from the sea?”

Jonah turned back to face her, and this time his eyes were smiling. “I’m so far from the sea I can watch the surf from our bedroom window,” he said. “And as for you–” He pulled her close and kissed her, then kissed again more hungrily. And for a while there was nothing more to say.

I can’t find the screenshots, but Jonah and Joyelle had a nasty argument in front of the house after this party. I’m grumpy that the screenshots are missing.

Stupid snowfall inside the house. I try to mitigate it, but it’s everywhere.

This is not my most inspired post, but it moves time along and introduces their second kid. It was pretty entertaining to see Forest crash the Snowflake Day party.

7.41 Mothers

Mar6

The air turned colder, and Autumn eased into Winter.

Winston’s crowds at outdoor venues started to get thinner as it got colder. He’d performed in the snow before. He didn’t feel the chill when he was moving and playing with fire. But the park stage was probably not going to be the best way to draw an audience for a while.

He spent a lot of his personal time on dates with Emilie.

Andria decided to write her memoirs and began to fill spiral-bound notebooks cover-to-cover with pencil scratches. “Don’t tell me to put it on the computer,” she snapped when VIckie suggested just that. “I can’t stand computers. They make everything feel artificial. I guess they call it ‘virtual’ these days.”

Vickie didn’t argue with her.

On the other side of the tech divide, Jonah had just discovered computer video games and would disappear for hours.

They found other ways to have fun too.

That fun had the logical outcome. Vickie was delighted to be expecting another child.

So was Andria. She knew she was living on borrowed time. Every moment she spent with her family, especially her grandchildren, was a blessing.

When Caspian’s birthday rolled around, Vickie decided it was high time for a party. “I’ll invite the entire family, and anyone who can’t come losing the right to complain that I left them out,” she declared.

Jonah looked pensive.

Vickie, who had gotten a lot better at noticing everything he said without words, noticed immediately. “What’s wrong?”

“The Waves pod will be headed back in our direction toward our winter fishing grounds,” he said slowly. “I would like to invite my mother to this party. She hasn’t met her grandson.”

Vickie blinked. “I thought you said your clan disowned you… because of me,” she finished more quietly.

Jonah stared at his hands, “It wasn’t that simple,” he said. “I can’t be a part of the pod anymore, but if I could persuade her to visit, she might want to continue associating with us.” He sighed. “I would like to try.”

Vickie hugged him. “I still don’t understand why you were willing to give all that up to be with me,” she said. “I think she’s crazy to give you up completely. I support you. Let me know if there’s anything I can do.”

Jonah kissed her instead. He was a merman of few words.

For Andria, the best part of any party was baking the cake.

Snow was falling when the time of the party rolled around. Vickie stood at the door to say hello to Edmund, Gamora and Emmett, Judith and Mason.

Last to arrive was a woman Vickie didn’t recognize but knew without asking.

“Um, you must be Joyelle,” Vickie stammered. She had an ageless face, a far-away look in her eye, and was wearing a completely inappropriate, gauzey dress in the middle of the snow. She didn’t even seem to be cold.

Joyelle of Waves rewarded Vickie with a piercing look. She nodded slowly.

“Jonah’s getting the baby up from his nap…” Vickie trailed off.

Joyelle looked past her and walked by.

Jonah brought Caspian downstairs, and it was time for the big moment.

Caspian grew into a little merman who looked a lot like his father.

But with Grandma Andria’s eyes.

She couldn’t have been more delighted.

Andria served up the cake. Jonah and Joyelle exchanged glances that Vickie couldn’t read, but they didn’t say much to each other. Vickie sat down to spend some time with Judith, which was a lot more comfortable.

Caspian, on the other hand, pondered how to pull the carving knives down off the counter.

“I have to ask,” Judith said. “You have always been such a free spirit. What do you think of motherhood? Doesn’t it tie you down?”

“I was afraid it would,” Vickie admitted. “But I had to try. It’s been crazy but wonderful. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. And I guess I’m doing it again!” She looked down at her belly, which was barely showing her new pregnancy.

“Another baby already!” Judith said. “You didn’t waste any time!”

“I’m not getting any younger,” Vickie said. “I guess I thought it was now or never. Have you and Mason thought about kids at all?”

“We’re…. talking about it,” Judith said. “I think want to, but Mason isn’t so sure. He has such a disruptive job, you know. Would we really be able to raise a family with him working nights and disappearing at odd hours?”

Judith had made it clear that Vickie shouldn’t ask too much about what Mason did for a living, so she didn’t go there. “You always have me to help!” she said instead. “I don’t want to push you into anything, but wouldn’t it be amazing if we were moms with small kids together?”

[Mason James is in the Criminal career, but I realize that I don’t know what Judith does or if she has a job.]

After cake, Jonah started cleaning up, and Joyelle helped him. Vickie called the rest of the guests to come play with Caspian, who had crawled into the kitchen and was trying to pull the grating off the dishwasher. This kid was going to be a handful.

Vickie could hear her husband and mother-in-law speaking in low, singsong voices. She didn’t think it was in Simlish.

After a while, Caspian started throwing a tantrum, and Vickie bundled the overstimulated toddler upstairs to rock for a while in the rocking chair to try to calm him down. Jonah said goodbye to the guests.

“Did it go all right with your mom?” Vickie asked anxiously when he joined her upstairs.

“I… don’t know,” Jonah said. “She was interested in learning more about her grandson. She wants to know what my plans are for his ocean education. We can lose our tails, you know, if we don’t spend enough time in the sea.”

“I didn’t know!” Vickie said. “You haven’t been swimming since Caspian was born. Are you sure–?”

He took her hand. “I know my own body,” he said. “You don’t need to worry.”

Vickie would have said more, but downstairs something more important was happening.

When Grim came for Andria a second time, she didn’t have a flower for him. It seemed almost disappointed.

“Not now!” Andria begged. “I have another grandbaby on the way!”

“I granted you one favor,” Grim said in its deep, grating voice. “Most souls don’t get any. Don’t push your luck.”

Then they departed for the Netherworld together.

Vickie knew she should be grateful for the extra time she had with her mother, but it wasn’t enough. No time could ever be enough.

Not a lot of commentary here. There’s going to be baby and toddler spam for a while.

Joyelle was the original mermaid generated for the dive lots I created on this world. Since she was going to be donating genes to the legacy, though, I gave her a new face.

7.40 Caspian

Feb4

Vickie had to admit that being a pregnant newlywed wasn’t bad at all.

Morning sickness was light, and Jonah jumped to help whenever she seemed the slightest bit uncomfortable.

He was practically vibrating with anticipation of impending fatherhood, which certainly quelled her own nervousness. She had never felt so pampered in her life.

Days were spent preparing for the baby. And playing with Connery.

And learning about parenthood.

When Vickie couldn’t handle more attention, Jonah roamed in search of the herd of wild horses that wandered the coasts of Avalon Island.

They enchanted him. Every motion was a moment of vivid beauty bound to the world of dry land in which they lived.

They no longer spooked or ran when they saw him. He was beginning to earn trust.

The dreaded day arrived when they had to say goodbye to Connery.

Dis departure wasn’t a surprise. He was an incredibly elderly dog. Aunt Abby had adopted him into the family as a puppy.

It was still incredibly sad. He’d been there for Vickie in some of her darkest moments, and she took it really hard.

She inhaled suddenly from a sob. She felt something new that definitely had nothing to do with crying.

It hit her again. “Jonah,” she called. “I think it’s time.”

Jonah couldn’t drive her to the hospital. He’d never taken a driving lesson. But he was right there to offer support.

They arrived at the same time a Maya Ocean, looking fit and hale. “Hey! I’m getting a sparring injury checked out,” she said. “I guess I don’t need to ask why you’re here. Congratulations. Better you than me.”

It wasn’t Maya’s most supportive moment. Vickie managed not to snarl at her.

As births go, this was an easy one.

The birth announcement was in the newspaper the next day.

Andria cut the birth announcement out of the newspaper. “I’ll cherish this moment forever,” she said. “I got to meet my grandbaby!”

Vickie looked at the birth announcement and scowled. “The CHILD is resting comfortably? What about the mom?” It had been an easy birth, but not that easy.

Motherhood came naturally to Vickie.

She could rock endlessly with him in her arms and doze.

She even enjoyed the never-ending responsibility of keeping Caspian amused, fed, and clean.

Well, she enjoyed it most of the time. When she didn’t, her family was there to pick up the slack.

Winston already worked nights most of the time. It was easy for him to adjust his sleep schedule to accommodate early morning feedings.

And Andria was never far away. She sang lullabies to him when he fussed and kept a sharp eye on how much sleep the beleaguered parents were allowing themselves.

[Jonah did plenty of parenting. I just somehow failed to take pictures of him. Sorry to make you look like a deadbeat, Jonah.]

On Spooky Day, the new expanded family had their first outing.

Caspian laughed and gurgled all the way to the festival. He seemed thrilled to see all the new people. It didn’t hurt that adults compulsively make silly faces at babies.

“Hey,” Winston said. “Thanks for meeting me here. I thought it would be great to have a date at the Spooky Day festival, but I didn’t realize my sister was going to come along and bring the baby parade.”

“Oh, don’t say that!” Emilie said. “Your little nephew adorable. Don’t you think he’s adorable?”

“Yeah,” Winston admitted. “He really is great.”

“Have you ever thought of having kids of your own?” Emilie asked, avoiding his eyes.

“Yeah….” Winston admitted. “Some. Well, a lot more since Vickie got pregnant. It’s not so easy to have a family when you’re performing evening shows, but, well, yeah I think I want kids. Just not right now.”

Emilie beamed at him. “Of course not now, silly,” she said.

They stood around awkwardly for a long moment, searching for a way out of this topic of conversation.

“Hey!” Winston said. “It looks like they’re starting an apple bobbing contest!”

“Oh, great” Emilie said, her voice relieved. “I bet I can grab more apples than you!”

They both lost the contest.

A teen Victoria didn’t know walked up behind her. “Excuse me?” she demanded, “Did you just put your baby on the ground?”

“Well, just for a moment,” Vickie said, “while I–”

“That’s a horrifying way to treat an innocent baby!” the teen shouted. “What kind of parent are you? Have what for!”

“Aiee!” Vickie shrieked in surprise. “Did you–”

“Did you just slap me??”

The teen stuffed the glove back in her pocket. “It’s no worse than you deserve, ruffian!”

“How dare you!” Vickie growled. “I ought to–”

“I think it’s time to go home,” Jonah cut in. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of Caspian.”

[I think this is a Proper interaction “Give What For.” Awesome autonomous sims! I never noticed this with Dylan, and now I’m sorry.]

Vickie was just setting a sleeping Caspian back in his crib after a dawn feeding when she caught a flash of motion from her upstairs window.

Someone was fishing from the little beach of the property. In fact, just the place where Jonah had first stepped out of the ocean to meet her.

That in itself was unusual but no cause for alarm, but then she realized the fisherman was Edmund.

Vickie ran out to meet him. “What are you doing out here?” she cried. “You’ve never wanted to fish in your life!”

“Vickie!” Edmund whirled around, dropping his fishing pole. He looked almost guilty. “I didn’t expect to see anyone here.”

“I certainly didn’t expect to see you here,” Vickie said. “Why the sudden new hobby?”

“I just thought I should take some time alone to clear my head,” Edmund said, but the words came slower and more anxious as he spoke.

Then his face crumpled. “Joy left me,” he said.

“She what?” Vickie said. “Oh, Edmund. I’m so sorry. Do you know what happened?”

“She said she was wrong about me,” Edmund said. “She just didn’t feel for me what I felt for her.” He sighed. “I’d been talking about getting married. I guess she didn’t want to marry me.” A tear rolled down his cheek.

“If she didn’t want you as a husband, she’s the one with a problem,” Vickie said. “You would make a wonderful husband.”

Edmund smiled sadly. “Thanks for saying that,” he said. “We both know I’m an unusual guy with unusual interests. Not everyone is comfortable with fae magic. I thought Joy was, but I guess that wasn’t really what we had in common. I’m not sure I have any idea what I really need in a partner.”

Vickie threw her arms around her brother. “You’re right,” she said. “You’re not an ordinary guy. You’re romantic and brainy and old fashioned in a good way, not to mention mystical and mysterious. Joy may not appreciate that, but someone will. I know it.”

Generation 8 at last!

Spoilers: There are more kids coming, but Caspian is the heir unless something riveting happens with the others. He’s a fabulous counterpoint for rational, reserved Victoria. That is to say, he’s a hot mess.

NRaas StoryProgression broke up Edmund and Joy brutally. You could just see from the notifications that they had some ugly disagreement, she squashed his heart under her heel, and she immediately moved out and back in with her parents. Oooof. Joy was the simalike a fellow simmer build of her own teenage kid years ago, so, um, sorry it turned out like that.

7.39 Against the Waves

Jan28

The morning of the wedding dawned gray and drizzly, leaving the beach sand a bit damp was the Samples set up for the event.

“Please don’t rain, please don’t rain, please don’t rain,” Victoria wished fiercely, decked out in her bridal sundress with her makeup just so.

And just like that, the sky cleared. She wondered if her mom had anything to do with it. She was pretty sure Andria was nowhere near that powerful.

Uncle Chaim was one of the first to arrive.

And he brought with him a surprise plus one, one Benjamin Mai, who he nervously introduced as his date.

Everyone still missed Aunt Abby, but it was good to know that Uncle Chaim was moving toward a life after her.

Uncle Sawyer arrived right on time with Gamora and her new husband Emmett in tow.

And Maya Ocean, who couldn’t hide her smirk at the whole event. “I told you so,” she whispered when she came close.

Edmund with Joy.

“It’s about tiiiime!” Vickie’s best friend Judith James cheered to anyone who would listen. “My girl is finally getting herself the right man!”

Jonah and Victoria walked together to the water’s edge. The guests gathered around and conversation slowed to a murmur. They could hear the rush of the gentle waves reaching up onto the shore and pulling back into the sea.

“I guess it’s time to do this thing,” Victoria whispered.

“Any time you’re ready,” Jonah agreed.

They exchanged rings on the sand, under the bright sun, with short, simple vows.

As they sealed their vows with a kiss, the guests erupted into cheers and throw confetti.

Uncle Sawyer really got into the confetti throwing.

“And not a moment too soon,” Victoria said.

“You’ve been living in the same house as that guy,” Edmund said. “What do you think of him? They had one quick courtship. That doesn’t really seem like Vickie’s style.”

“Well, he’s crazy about her,” Winston said. “That part’s pretty obvious. Maybe she just met the one and knew it.”

“We can hope so,” Edmund said.

“Trust you to see the dark side of things,” Winston said. “How are you and Joy, anyway? You thinking about tying the knot? I never thought of you as the kind of guy to live so long with a girlfriend before making yourselves an honest couple.”

“Um,” Edmund said. “Joy takes commitment slowly. I think it’s time to cut the cake.

Andria had really outdone herself on that baking.

Out of the corner of her eye, Vickie did notice that Joy always seemed to be on the opposite side of the beach from Edmund. She hoped everything was all right.

“Gamora Sample-Relevart?” Judith squealed. “The astrophysicist philanthropist? I just read about you in the Avalon Times! You built the new stellar observatory. Could I have your autograph?”

“Uncle Sawyer!” Vickie said. “It’s wonderful to see you! How is the new house and, um, new family?”

“We’re coexisting just fine,” Dr Sawyer Sample said. “It’s a big house. You should make an appointment with me for a pregnancy health check.”

“Oh! I never really thought about that,” Vickie said.

“You’d be surprised what modern medicine can tell us,” Sawyer said. “Your baby is a boy, by the way.”

“It’s, uh, thanks?” Vickie said. She wasn’t totally sure she wanted to know that.

“So there’s a little nephew in there?” said Edmund.

Jonah took a bit of a break from the press of the crowd to play catch in the surf with Connery.

Winston caught up with his cousin, who was certainly older and wiser and more content. He’d never been sure what she did in that lab she kept under Andria’s greenhouse, but apparently it was pretty lucrative.

A distant cousin, one of the Sample-Bookabets, captivated a crowd with some story about her travels.

Uncle Chaim took a moment to think about Abby.

“Take a look at that!” Gamora pointed. Judith had stripped to a swimsuit and was splashing in the surf.

She waved to Edmund. He took off his shoes, rolled up his pants, and started dancing with her.

Judith’s husband Mason didn’t seem particularly threatened.

“That’s a great idea! I’m in!” shouted Danial Ibari.

“I hear that it’s customary for the couple to dance together at their wedding,” Jonah said. “Would you join me?”

“I’d be delighted,” Vickie answered.

“Aren’t they adorable!” cried the cousin. “I’ll be sure to send them the pictures.”

Winston drifted over to Emilie. “Hey, do you like to dance? Would you like to dance with me?”

Emilie beamed at him. “Sure! I’m not a great dancer just to warn you.”

“It’ll be ok,” Winston said. He took her hand and pulled her close.

“Hey you’re not bad at this!” Emilie cried, laughing, as he twirled her.

“Quick moves are part of the job,” Winston said.

“Do you think your date can spare a dance for me?” Andria asked Chaim.

“Oh, of course!” Chaim said.

“Sometimes we geezers just have to stick together,” Andria said. And they were both Sample widows now, which went without saying.

Soon everyone was dancing together on the beach.

“I guess this is it,” Vickie whispered to Jonah. “Mister and Missus Sample. And soon baby makes three.”

Jonah smiled. “I think we’ll be ready,” he said.

One of my more successful wedding parties, if I do say so myself. Even if it did start out raining. I might have had someone back at the house use the weather machine before coming. I don’t actually remember.

Finding an even vaguely wedding-like dress that had a pregnancy morph was a huge pain. After this, went and downloaded a bunch of cc for future needs. Considering how much this game is about making babies, EA sure doesn’t think pregnant ladies need much to wear.

7.38 Pledge

Jan23

The next few days brought difficult news.

Aunt Abby had passed on.

Uncle Chaim and little Hans spent the day with them after the funeral. Victoria still had no idea what possessed them to adopt a son so late in life. What would become of Hans if Uncle Chaim died and the poor kid was orphaned a second time?

Hans might have been thinking something like that himself. He was quiet and sullen for most of his visit. Not that you could blame him.

Victoria did her best to draw out her little cousin, and he did begin to loosen up. He told her about the new, smaller home that he and his father were planning to move to now that Abby’s celebrity lifestyle was behind them. He seemed to be excited about that part at least.

If something happened to Uncle Chaim, Hans would be welcome here, Vickie decided. Even though they hadn’t had nearly enough time so far to really get to know him, he was still family.

After the funeral reception, Vickie started feeling queasy.

A test quickly proved that the problem wasn’t something she ate.

She and Jonah hadn’t talked about children, but they hadn’t been terribly careful either. With her long unsuccessful love life, she hadn’t let her self think much about children. Making plans for them seemed like begging fate to crush them. She knew she wanted children, though hadn’t realized quite how much until she felt the surge of joy in discovering she was pregnant.

Whatever Jonah thought, she was ready to be a mom. More than ready, even.

So then she had to find out what Jonah thought.

“Have you ever thought about… having children?” she began nervously.

“I’ve thought of having them with you,” he admitted. “I hope that’s something you want when the time is right.”

“What if the right time was right now?”

“You’re pregnant!” he gasped.

“Is that good for you?” Vickie asked.

“Good? It’s wonderful! Um, that is if it’s good for you.”

He wrapped his arms around her and held her close, and Vickie decided to go all the way.

“If we’re going to have a baby together, would you like to do it as husband and wife?” she asked. It might not be the most romantic proposal, but she’d really always valued straightforward honesty more.

Jonah laughed. “I have already pledged myself to you in the strongest way of the merfolk,” he said, “but if it makes you happy, we’ll do it the landwalker way too.”

He let her take his hand and kneel to slip a ring on his finger.

Andria squealed with glee at the news.

“I gave up on hoping that I would life to see any of my kids get married or have my grandchildren. Now both at the same time!”

Vickie and Jonah decided on a small simple wedding, and Andria didn’t try to talk them out of it.

“Your father insisted on a big church wedding, and really one of those in a lifetime is more than enough,” she said. She did, however, insist on baking a big wedding cake.

Since there wasn’t a fancy dress, a gourmet reception, or even really a venue, plans came together quickly. It was a good thing too, since they were racing the clock against the baby.

Then, on the night before the wedding, Andria walked out to get the mail and started to feel light.

Vickie, Jonah, and Winston dashed outside as the Grim Reaper made its appearance.

“No no no no no!” Vickie shouted. “You can’t do this! You can’t take her now!”

Grim’s hood turned toward her for a moment and shrugged. Obviously, it could do anything it liked. Only Grim knew when Andria’s time was to go.

Andria, however, looked into the void of the Reaper’s face and grinned. “You’re just the fellow I wanted to see!” she said. “I picked this just for you!”

She reached out her hand, and in it was a hideous, spiny, black flower.

The Grim Reaper paused, then reached out with a bony hand to take it.

It stared at the blossom in silence, twirling it between two skeletal fingers. Then it made a sound, an inhuman grating sound, deep behind its hood. Vickie gasped and covered her mouth with her hand.

That sound turned out to be the Grim Reaper laughing with delight.

It raised its hands in a broad, sweeping gesture.

Andria rose into the air.

And when she fell back to earth, she was flesh and blood again.

———-

Generation 8 finally on the way!

This was a perfect Sims moment. I had no idea Andria was carrying a death flower. I don’t know where she got it. Though, since was Green Thumb sim who was constantly gardening, she’d be the sim to have one. I’d completely forgotten about them. I was furious that Andria picked the eve of Vickie’s wedding to die, but then it all worked out.

Most of the action here was on a full moon night. I did my best to color correct away the color cast from Supernatural and finally looked up how to turn it off. I’m happy to use it in some saves, but zombies and stuff do not suit this one.

7.34 Causality

Mar20

Victoria and Jonah had a lifetime to catch up on. They spent almost all their time together. It helped that Vickie’s income came from selling her diving discoveries and had no particular schedule.

Indeed, diving was one thing they could do together. They shared a passion for the sea, and that did a lot to bridge the chasm of their life experience. Vickie was conscious that this was much more time than Jonah had ever spent out of the water. She tried not to keep him away so long that it became painful for him.

After plenty of landwalker woohoo, Jonah was eager to show Vickie the pleasures of aquatic life.

Vickie found the idea exciting.

Woohoo and the sea, two of her favorite things together? What could be better?

Jonah was certainly thrilled.

It was certainly fun, but Vickie had to admit that her dive equipment made everything a bit awkward.

In the end, they found a compromise.

It worked pretty well for them.

Edmund called.

He and Joy had found a perfect cottage. They were just starting to unpack, but he hoped to invite the family for a housewarming gathering as soon as possible.

Edmund had just had a birthday, so this would be a chance to celebrate two parts of his new life at the same time.

At around the same time, Gamora got a very different call from her father.

It was about her stepmother.

Gamora hung and immediately went go find her father. He wasn’t exactly a people person, and he wouldn’t expect to talk to anyone about Emily’s loss. Gamora knew Sawyer well enough to know he’d be wrong.

When his shift ended at the hospital, Gamora was waiting for him. “Hey Dad,” she said. “I thought tonight would be a good time to take you to dinner.”

Sawyer scowled at her. “You don’t eat,” he said. “We’ve been over that before.”

“I’ll watch you eat,” Gamora said. “That’s entertaining enough.”

The fact that he didn’t argue further was a sign of how bleak he was feeling.

Sawyer focused on his food and said very little. Gamora told him about her progress at the astronomy center. Their current focus was clearing space debris which, combined with environmentalist initiatives she was also funding, promised to keep the planet healthy for hundreds of years to come.

“You’re making good use of all that money you cheated from the future,” Sawyer said. “I hope there isn’t some causality loop that unravels all your planning.”

“I specialize in time causality, Dad,” Gamora said. “Give me a little credit here.”

Sawyer finished his meal, sat back, and looked at her. He was lost in thought, and a half smile tugged at his mouth.

Gamora smiled back and waited for him to say something.

He exploded.

“We did everything!” he cried. “Cardiac enhancement drugs. Reinforcement surgery. Experimental treatments. She had the best that medical science could offer, and her heart still failed. I couldn’t do anything because I’m a neuroscientist, not a cardiologist. The cardiologist was an idiot!”

“Dad, I think–” Gamora began.

“I could have saved her life,” Sawyer said. “I’m a world-famous neurosurgeon. I’ve saved hundreds of lives, but I didn’t get to save my own wife!”

“Dad, you did all you could,” Gamora said. “You haven’t saved everyone who came to you either. It doesn’t have to be anyone’s fault.”

“She died in the operating room,” Sawyer said. “I couldn’t do anything. I hate being helpless. I shouldn’t ever be helpless.”

“Emily was my lead nurse and research associate,” he said. “She worked with me on all my recent research. How can I got back without her?”

Gamora didn’t say anything. She just hugged him. He broke down and cried on her shoulder, and she held him tight. Then she took him home and stayed there so he wouldn’t be alone.

After some long talks with his daughter, Sawyer decided to retire. He purchased a new, nicer house. The two of them set to upgrading the interior with bits of technology Gamora had gleaned from the future. Sawyer didn’t seem nearly as bothered by tangling the timeline when the result cooked and cleaned for him.

Gamora wondered where all this compassion came from. Since when was she the kind of person to hold someone, even her dad, while he cried?

Maybe she was now.

7.33 Wild waves

Mar8

Time passed in a blur.

When Jonah touched her, Vickie found it hard to think.

All she could feel was the need for more.

Jonah himself spoke mostly with his eyes. He was self-conscious about his air voice, but also he just seemed to be awkward about words. She could feel his fingers tremble against her skin, see the longing in his eyes. Whatever the energy was between them, he was just as consumed by it.

She never saw him slip out of bed as she slept and watch her anxiously.

Eventually, she just had to escape to clear her head. She slipped out while Jonah was sleeping and headed downstairs to find something to eat.

A huge old ball of fluff met her in the kitchen. He was so happy to see her that his body wiggled all over. His joints were stiff enough these days that it took a lot of energy to get that excited. “Connery!” Vickie cried. “Just the pup I need to see!”

“There’s nothing like doggy love,” she said. “Want a smoochie?”

“Hey,” Winston said, coming up behind her. “Are you ok?”

“Um, sure I’m ok?” Vickie’s voice sounded even shakier than she felt. “I think so?”

Winston looked awkward. “I know you’re a big girl and all, Vickie, but you’re my sister. I’ve never seen you bring a guy home and lock yourself in the room with him all day. Do you even know him? I’m pretty sure that’s not Rodney.”

“He’s new,” Vickie admitted. She couldn’t bring herself to say that she’d only just met him, or that they’d only exchanged a handful of words. “Gosh,” she breathed, “this really isn’t something I do.”

“I was kinda thinking that too,” Winston said.

Here, with time to think half a house away from Jonah, Vickie could see how out-of-character her behavior was. It chilled her. Could she be under a spell? She knew there were romance spells, though she’d never learned to cast one. Could… oh dear… a drug do this? Not that Jonah had given anything to eat or drink… that she remembered… And of course he acted a bit strange. He was a merman without a lot of contact with landwalkers. Why was he here again?

Vickie too a deep breath and pulled out her phone. “I think I’m going to call a friend and see if I can get some advice,” she said.

Winston’s face softened. “Look, I don’t want to freak you out. I’m your brother. I have to worry about you. But there’s no harm in giving the guy some space, right?”

She thought she was going to dial Judith, but somehow that didn’t seem like the right kind of advice. She only knew one person who might give her some insight on mermen, but they’d only exchanged some sporadic texts since they met in Isla Paradiso.

“Maya? Hi, it’s Victoria Sample.” She paused. “Yeah, it’s me! It’s great to hear your voice too! ….Yeah, we never talk voice. We should fix that …Well, yeah, I did have a reason for calling. There’s a guy, and he’s a merman, and thought you might give me some advice about mermen…”

“You can stop squealing now, Maya! I get the point!” Vickie flushed. “Yeah, maybe I deserved that.”

To Vickie’s surprise, Maya insisted on meeting in person, and she was quick with the airline reservations. She found a flight that arrived in the afternoon, and they rendezvoused at the Old Mill teahouse.

“Wow, it’s been so long! You look great!” they chorused when they laid eyes on each other.

“I had no idea you could come visit this quickly,” Vickie said. “Why didn’t we do this sooner?”

“I can’t always travel on such short notice,” Maya said, “but you lucked out this time. I had other reasons to spend some time in Avalon.”

“I hope you were going to look me up,” Vickie said.

“Sure I would,” Maya said, though Vickie thought there was a guilty edge to her voice.

“Let’s sit down and have a drink then,” Vickie said. “The Old Mill is such a peaceful place, and I never make time to come here.”

“I want to hear about this merman,” Maya said.

“You listen, and I’ll pour,” Vickie said.

Winston wandered into the kitchen in the afternoon and found Vickie’s guest sitting at the dining table, eating what Winston thought uneasily might be raw fish.

He grabbed a slice of Andria’s flaming angle food cake from the fridge and sat down beside the merman. “Hey,” he said. “I’m Vickie’s brother. My name’s Winston.”

The merman paused and gave Winston a long look. At last, he said, “I am Jonah of the Waves clan. Thank you for your hospitality.”

“It sounds like you’ve been showing my sister a good time,” Winston said. “Good for you. Just a piece of advice, man to man — Vickie lives with two brothers and her mom. You might want to be careful about loud noises.”

“Waves clan, really?” Maya said with raised eyebrows. “Those finfolk are wild.”

“Wild how?” Vickie asked, feeling her stomach tighten.

“Wild like a lot of them have never used their legs at all,” Maya said. “They live out in the deep ocean. I’ve only met a few. I get the impression that they don’t think much of shore mermaids like me.”

“If his clan doesn’t like the land,” Vickie said, “why did Jonah come here?”

Maya snickered. “For you, obviously.”

Vickie thought about that for a while. “You don’t know if Waves clan merfolk have any unusual abilities compared to shore merfolk?”

Maya frowned. “Not that I know of… What are you getting at?”

Vickie felt her face heating up. She tried to keep her voice casual. “Maybe any mermaid can do it? Affect how a human thinks about you?”

Maya frowned. She caught Vickie’s eyes from across the table until Vickie felt uncomfortable and looked away.

“Vickie,” she said. “Have you ever been with someone who really drove you crazy? Like you can’t get enough of them feel most comfortable when you’re with them?”

“I…” Vickie began. She’d had some good woohoo for sure, but she had to be honest with herself — the relationship part had always been awkward. Roderick had been good for a while, but even he had always looked at her with this devotion she couldn’t share. It made her feel guilty every time.

“I guess not,” she finished.

“You know what I think?” Maya said. “I think that you’ve got serious chemistry with a guy for the first time in your life, and it’s freaking you out.”

“You know, Maya,” Vickie said. “I think maybe you’ve got it exactly right.” She leaned forward to pour herself a little more tea.

They let the conversation drift to other things. “It’s been amazing to talk like this,” Vickie said. “I wish you were closer so we could do this all time.”

Maya gave a secretive smile. “That could happen someday,” she said. “Don’t give up hope.” She winked.

“Tell your fishy boyfriend hello for me,” Maya said. “Next time, we double-date or something, okay?”

“Absolutely,” Vickie said. “Thank you so much.”

It was dusk when she returned, and Jonah was waiting for her.

“You were gone when I woke up,” he said. His eyes looked large and mournful. “You’re unhappy. We have gone too fast. If you wish, I will return to the sea.”

“I’m sorry,” Vickie said. “I just needed to get away to think. I want you to stay. Please stay, Jonah.”

His face lit up, and he pulled her close.

I had real writer’s block with this one, but it finally came together.

7.32 Milestone

Jan9

Vickie wrenched herself away from him. “What? What are you doing?” she demanded. “Who are you?”

“I’m called Jonah, of the Waves clan in the South Simsian Sea,” the merman said in a thick voice.

“So you do speak Simlish,” Vickie said.

Jonah looked embarrassed. “I understand very well,” he said. “I just don’t often speak.. with air.”

“Oh!” Vickie said. “You’ve been following me. Why? Why do you stare at me like that?”

The merman dropped his eyes. “I did not mean to upset you,” he said. “I just felt… this. I assumed you felt it too.”

“Felt what?” Vickie asked, trying to mask the trembling in her voice.

He frowned, thinking, then reached out and brushed his hand over her skin. “I don’t know the name for it,” he said. “The call of the sea?”

She opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came.

Instead, she took him by the hand and wordlessly led him back to the house.

They stayed in her bedroom a long time.

Downstairs, Edmund was also thinking romantic thoughts, but of a much more chaste and proper manner.

“Joy? Would you grant me the pleasure of your company at Ventinari’s Restaurant this afternoon? Perhaps on the early side? 6pm? Yes, that would be delightful!”

He arrived early. If Joy appreciated punctuality, he wanted to be punctual. Even if she didn’t, it was unlikely she’d be happier if he were late.

“I wanted to celebrate a milestone with you,” he told her, “both for me and, I hope, for Avalon. We are free of all but the oldest, most powerful vampires.”

“Really? That’s amazing,” Joy said. “You did this all on your own?”

“With the weight of a thousand years of fae knowledge behind me,” Edmund agreed. “The strange thing is that most of them wanted to be free. They thanked me for returning them to mortality.”

Joy shook her head. “I guess I’ll never really understand it all.”

“To celebrate, would you join me for dinner?” Edmund asked.

Joy smiled. “But of course!”

“Vetinari’s is the nicest restaurant in town,” Joy said. “I’ve never been here. I’m looking forward to finding out if it lives up to the hype.”

“My mother makes several things on this menu,” Edmund said. “I wonder how a restaurant compares.”

“Your mother is a gourmet cook?” Joy asked.

“In her spare time,” Edmund agreed.

“While we’re waiting, would you join me in a toast?” Edmund asked. “This is some of my father’s prized nectar, which he put down before he died.”

“How can I say no to that?” Joy said.

“Is it supposed to burn?” she asked.

“Perfect quality flame fruit nectar,” Edmund said. “I have heard that flame fruit nectar is memorable, but I’ll be honest — I have no idea how this tastes. It might be an expensive disaster.”

“All right then, I’ve been warned,” Joy said. “I’m ready for the adventure.” She raised a flaming goblet to her lips.

“Oh, my. This is amazing. I’ve never tasted anything like this!”

“Wonderful! This is ideal for a celebration, then. I think Dad would approve.” Edmund sipped his own.

The nectar danced over his tongue and warmed him from the inside out.

“I think this is going to my head!” he said. They both laughed.

Edmund looked up and met Joy’s eyes over their wine glasses. “I am embarking on a new chapter of my life. I have been searching for a small place of my own, and I’m ready to move away from my family estate. Would you consider joining me there?”

Joy froze, then took another sip. “I don’t think I’m ready to talk about marriage,” she said slowly.

“However you wish to define our relationship, I am at your disposal,” Edmund said. He tried to hide the splash of wine as his hand trembled.

Then Joy’s face relaxed, and she beamed at Edmund. “All right then,” she said. “I would love to move in with you. I know I couldn’t have handled your entire family, but just the two of us, with books and magic, that sounds divine.”

The counter stood between Edmund and Joy, so he couldn’t take her into his arms. Perhaps this wasn’t the most wise place to start an important conversation. He settled instead for a soulful gaze across the distance. “Joy, my love,” he said. “With you, I am the happiest man alive in this moment.”

He was pleased to see her blush.

I had the hardest time with this scene, but here we are — Edmund has completed his Lifetime Wish and is moving out of the house with his girlfriend! He really should have proposed to her, considering that he is a Proper sim, but it didn’t happen in the flow of the moment. Joy is Unflirty and pretty cautious about commitments anyway.

7.31 Out of the blue

Nov25

A few days later, Vickie did return to explore the shipwreck. It was a brilliant day, with sun dappling down through the waves to illuminate the depths.

Vickie’s eyes kept being drawn away to little brightly-colored wonders of the sea.

Which was why she was so surprised to see him when she looked up.

Don’t hold your breath, she reminded herself. Holding your breath while diving was a quick trip to the hospital with compression damage.

It wasn’t as if she’d never met a mermaid before. She drew close and waved her hand in a universal underwater greeting. He just stared at her before swimming away.

Winston was invited to perform under the tent at the Wings Over Camelot Fun Faire. If that weren’t prestigious enough, he drew his largest crowd ever.

When he wrapped up his set, the audience went on cheering until the MC pushed him off the stage.

“You should have seen me, Ma!” he crowed when he finally made it home. “I was amazing! The pub offered me a regular gig on Fridays. They like me. They really like me!”

“I always knew you’d be a star,” Andria said. “That’s my boy.”

Edmund was cleaning the town of vampires, and it was getting easier.

He was out almost every night, prowling for the creatures of the night.

“Well, that was unexpected. What am I supposed to do now?”

“What’s that?? Don’t stake me!”

“Hey this feels pretty good!”

Before sunset, Victoria took a long walk on the beach behind the house. The rolling waves and the smell of salt in the air brought her peace in the way nothing else could.

A splashing sound caught her attention. What was that? A giant tuna?

No. It was something else entirely.

The merman transformed and stepped out of the water. His wild eyes bored into her.

Vickie took a step backward. “Hello?” she said in a wavering voice. “Are you new to this ocean? Welcome to Avalon. I-I’m Victoria Sample, and I live nearby.”