What he doesn't know

Still here and still have this story rattling around in my head. I know where I want it to go, but don't know if I have the energy or time to continue this and Ruin. But I still love TS2.

So I played a bit this week as a break from "serious" writing, and as always can't resist sharing some of their stories. Especially some of the college kids. (And Ama, but that's for later.)


Let's see if I can remember approximate ages:

Ily ~ 19
Rich ~ 18

Ethan and Ashley ~ 21


Their very first dinner party together in their own little house. Rich hadn't exactly been for it. He'd tried to talk her out of it, but she'd been determined. And when she had that glint in her eye it was impossible to talk her out of anything.

She'd even tried practice cooking for their very first dinner party.

There's a reason she doesn't usually cook. But if she was that determined, then how could he say no?

Over all it went well. Ily's brother, Ethan, came and brought his girlfriend. Ashley was cute, but a little boring. Rich really had nothing to talk to her about.


Honestly, he tried. Giving Ily and her brother some quiet time to catch up, he followed Ashley to the living room and started chatting with her, but all she wanted was to work on her assignment for class.

Cute, but not the sort of girl he liked. Of that he was sure. Too bookish and shy. It was only a small get together, and she apparently couldn't handle being social for those two hours.

To top off the weird night, Alberta called.


"Ily? She's talking with her brother in the other room. Did you want to leave a message? You need to ask her opinion on something? Maybe I can help. Okay, okay, calm down. I'll tell her you called."

That was another one that mystified him. Gabe and Alberta made no sense to him. He'd told Gabe so more than once. She was young and shy and timid. Who wants to deal with all that? Gabe of course then shot back with his own thoughts on Ily. Definitely drew a stalemate and an agreement to not talk about it.


Ily was having the most fun of the two of them, especially considering the brotherly advice she received from Ethan.

"I'll tell you what you need..."

Ily wondered if Ashley, future librarian, had actually gone along with this plan for excitement. Ily herself hadn't allowed for much more than their messing around in the fitting room.

The furthest they got to doing anything really really naughty in a public place was the couch. And that was after much cajoling on Rich's part. She wasn't going to tell Ethan that though. Not if she wanted him to sit there later.


After having spent a semester with Rich, she still didn't feel it. Whatever it was. She just knew she wasn't feeling it. Rich was cute and had a bright future, and he seemed so into her, stealing glances like they were still sitting near each other in school and hadn't been sleeping together all semester.

It could be the day to day life stuff and how boring it really was. Eat, sleep, do homework, and have sex. Like it was on a list of things to do. She wasn't passive, by all means, though she generally let him make the first move. She went along with it usually hoping she'd get better. That she would love him back.

When he was out at class, she would take time to call one person a day. Her mother and father. Kate. And Water Mellon, her old boss.

It was stupid. Just a crush really. Still, he seemed happy to hear from her and hear about college. Their conversation lasted longer than her phone conversations usually did. In most cases, people just wanted to know she was alive. Water actually wanted to hear how she was doing.

And it made her stomach flip.


There was a very small list of valid candidates as far as Ily was concerned. They had to have a bright future, they had to love her, and they had to be good at taking orders. Rich was all of that. He seemed to generally strive to make her happy.

Did it really matter? Love wasn't something Ily was prone to believe in anyway. It was all about compatibility. And they were compatible. Better than most. Where there was passion, there was a chance for failure. With love came hate.


"Ily, why are you looking at me like that?"

"Just admiring the view. How do you cook so well and stay so skinny?"

"Don't overeat? You're weird, Ily."

****************************

I have too much fun with these two. I played through a semester, and Ily only has a crush on him. One bolt of chemistry.

I think these two will cause me trouble when they discover other people.

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High school is up and running

These events take place before Tierra De Legado.




The Students. In front Ethan and Tristin, in back: Ily and Ashley

I played through the high school today. Samantha Kerr is the sim in charge of the high school.

Students arrives around 8 and have a nice little break to chat, use the rest room and prep.

About two or three times a week, students will work on grade work. See the red head (dyed) in the back? She's the hardest worker. Today she had over 150% on her gradework!

Meanwhile, Tristin in the back (see his look of worry?) has a hard time working on his grade work. Samantha had to have a talk with him about it.

I don't know how, but Tristin managed to get on Sam's good side. He told her how he feels his life has a higher purpose, and that he isn't sure school is meant for him. He spends a lot of time praying to a higher power which he's sure will decide his fate.

Sam couldn't really argue with him after he opened up to her about his belief in a higher power (a subject still taboo among these sims, just like marrying service NPCs). So she asked him to make everyone lunch.


When students aren't working on gradework, they have other activities they can do. Some days they might have free time.

This week, they had their very first guest speaker.


Water Mellon came to the school to talk about his sales techniques.




The high school students are only in school from about 8am to 1pm. This is because the other half of the high school is.. da dada daaa~! After School programs!

After school programs can include time spent with other older sims learning skills or time after school working in quality jobs where they learn skills. Richard Mellon, the mayor, actually has a set of rules regarding the after school programs. Namely, students must be learning a skill. They can't just be tidying up all day.



Here is Ily practicing dance with my favorite sim, Ann. When Ann went to college, she earned the dancing scholarship, so she's helping Ily earn a dance scholarship as well. A dancer should know more than just ballet.



Here, Ethan talks with Water after the speech. "Teach me!" I can see him saying. When I play Water next, I'm sure Water will call up Ethan and hire him to work at the shop.

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Moving day or OMG I BUILT A HOUSE

These events take place before Tierra De Legado.



Right after their return from vacation, the family packed and moved to their new home. ^___^


This home was specially designed for Aurora and her family. Aurora has always felt a very deep connection to Takemizu Village as her great-grandfather Pao Mellon's family came from there. So she had her house designed around the ideas of family and harmony.



The front yard is simplistic and yet, with the beautiful sound of the bamboo fountain, peaceful.



Here is the front porch. That door there leads to the tea room, which Aurora had placed in the front yard so she could easily welcome guests into her mini-retreat.



Here is the front entrance. (We see Ethan walking in for the first time, examining all their new items.)


Here is the kitchen. The only way to get to the kitchen is to go through the dining room.


Here is the dining room.



Here is the study. There is a picture of Angie and Isaac, Aurora's parents at her wedding.



The picture in the far right corner is also from Aurora and Ash's wedding. They paid a professional photographer to take plenty of pictures after all.


Here's a close up of the pictures on the piano. They're from the recent vacation. That first picture is my favorite. Here is the full size, which I admit to setting up. ^____^



Here is the living room with more pics of the kids, of course.


Here is the master bedroom with another picture from the wedding. Ash and Aurora are just that romantic.


Here is a shot of the master bathroom. This shot doesn't do it enough justice. There are some really lovely meshes with some wonderful recolors.




The kitchen, the dining room, the bedroom and bathroom, and a large portion of the living room are all meshes by -Maylin- and all the darker recolors with cherry accents are by Loverat.

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Family vacation

These events take place before Tierra De Legado.




From right to left: Ethan, Katherine, Aurora, Ily, Ash

Aurora has been planning this for a long time. She always thought a family vacation would be a great idea, but she refused to take the entire family until everyone was old enough to go along.

Family dinner time

The family has had a great time. Ethan will be leaving for college soon, so this was a nice hurah for the entire family.

Everyone spent time enjoying their pursuits. Ethan has a strict work our regiment that he sticks to so that he'll be prepared for soccer when he gets back. Ily works on her art in the evening and her dancing in the morning.


Meanwhile their dear little sister Kate made her own fun.


And they got lots of sight seeing done.



The family will be moving into a new house soon.

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Portrait of a family

These events take place before Tierra De Legado.



In the process of getting my school system together, I caught this pic. Here's Aurora writing a check to get her kids into the new high school that is opening up. All of a sudden, Ethan grabs his sister Ily in a headlock and gives her a noogie!



In other news, my elf, Amberle Silverring, was very nervous about her first day of school. She knows she will get to see Gabriel again as well as a whole bunch of other students she doesn't know yet.

So Amberle went out and got herself a new outfit and a make over! She even cut her hair, a complete first for her. But she has finally gotten used to the idea that she has a new life, and it's time that she give herself a chance.

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