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| Thanks to AevalM (a.k.a. Skye Everard) for the "Serious Artist's Easel", a great addition for all those artistic Sims running around in the Rose household! ~♥~ |
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| It is utter madness to try and keep up with two grown children, yet somehow I manage to entertain them for most part day. If only we could stop running... |
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| "Come on, Ma! You know we're letting ya win... Run faster, or we WILL catch up!" Bleue shouts in my direction. It's probably true. I should work on those leg muscles. |
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| As soon as the kids are bored of running around, they head over to the swings. "I can sit outside like this all day.. Why do we have to go to school!?" Cherry cheers with a smile. "Because your education it more important at the moment!" I yell back. |
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| They take turns, and Bleue is about to get on the swing... When the school bus shows up. "No fair," he groans. |
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With everyone on their way to school, I quickly skip my way upstairs to tend to the babies. It's been a long time since there;s been any berry babies in the house (if you count Xavier as a berry sim, because he's pink), and it's a great joy to stare at their purple skin. Nadine's features fit her perfectly, as her hair and eyes blend in nicely with the purple-ish berry skintone. Her outfit is purple as well, as no other color suits her better.  Like his sister, Lucas has my real hair color, reminding me of my old styles. His a bubbly berry toddler, obsessed with bears and his favorite color is blue (like his eyes, haha!)  Just after the berry babies' birthday's, I call Chad to hear about that lunch we had been planning... But his cell goes directly to voicemail. Rather odd. Chad ALWAYS answers his phone, no matter who's calling. "I'll try again later..."  It's hard to enjoy a nice morning at the pool, if your own children are photographing you. "Sweetheart. Liana. It's not necessary to take photo's of your mom... Especially when she looks like this!" "Just something I'm gonna forward to a friend who wants it...," Liana shrugs. I sigh. I can't even have a normal day away from home with the toddlers, while everyone is at school.  While on the topic of kids.. Kate and Lanica pass by my eyesight, though choose to leave me and the toddlers alone. I've been wondering where all my children have disappeared to lately, as they inhabit most of Sunset Valley.  "Is he yours? He has such strange purple skin..." A stranger asks all of a sudden. "Yes, he is. He just looks a lot like his daddy.. Who's a berry sim. Explains his skin, ey!"  The man in question introduces himself as Matthias Moonbrow (thanks kinleighsage a.k.a Catherine Bell-Barker! for letting me using him!). I fall in love with his genetics, and I stare for a second or two.  "What's up with all the staring, miss? If I'm that amazingly hot, you just have to say so!" he laughs. "Oh, no, I'm sorry! You just have great genetics, AND, I'm looking for candidates for my baby challenge. It's a everyday job, apart from taking care of kids!" This leads to me explaining everything (my life story is becoming boring), and... I ask him if he would like to contribute. His reply: "He'll think about it." So it's not a no..  Back at home, the kids all sit down to do some kind of task, which is probably homework. Cherry requests some help and I quickly run over and sit next to her. On the floor. "I'm supposed to be the adult, yet I swear my kids know more than me...," I grumble. "Yeah, the curriculum has changed since your time. 'Course, it doesn't get any easier though!" Cherry sighs.  Matthias somehow found my address and drops by. He gives a quick nod through the window, indicating the answer is yes, and runs off just as fast as he came.   It took a few showers, but finally my hair is dye free and back to it's brown and pink shade. It's a great relief to see myself looking normal again!  "What'cha doin'?" Bleue asks cheerfully from behind me. "Just chillin', as you young people would say. Cherry here is lying on my lap, bored out of her mind and resting for a bit. And your brother and sister over there are fiddling with the block set."  Cherry is actually the one who suggested we lounge in front of the fire, as she claims she's "freezing cold." "Does it ever snow in Sunset Valley, mom?" she asks. "Not that I know of. All my life that I've lived here, I have never experienced a snowy day. BUT, there has been rain, if you can believe that." "Ohh... So I'll never be able to stay out of school 'cause of snow? Aw."  The teens were being very elusive, so I scurry upstairs to look for them. Surprisingly, they're all working on skills. Mira is the one that works alone in the corner, away from her sisters. "OH! Mom, hey. Can I talk to you for a sec?" Rachel waves to me.   "So, mom... We may have a issue on our hands," Rachel starts off. "What do you mean, may have? What's up? Did something happen?" I question.  "Some people might, like, brush it off or something, but it's been nagging at me for a while. After we got back from prom, Mira went straight to bed. Emily and I stayed up for a while more, and when we went to our room.. Mira jumps out of bed with a smile. At first. Then she starts yelling at us and attacking us about our flaws. It was so sudden, the way she snapped."  I ponder this story for a minute. It IS highly unlikely for Mira to lash out, on any given time. "Maybe it was a mood swing? I know many teens get that. Including myself at one time," I frown. "No, it's more than that..."  "Rachel is right," Emily interrupts. "Her personality changes very quickly the entire time. As if she perhaps has multiple personalities residing inside her." "I'm the dumb one, and even I see that...," Rachel shrugs.  Emily has the most broken-hearted look that I have ever seen. And I know immediately she thinks she's somehow to blame. "Em, I will talk to her. We'll find the cause, and we'll help her. But for now... You guys need to get to bed. You have a test tomorrow and need your sleep!" I shoo them to their room. The question is: HOW can I solve this dilemma? Talking doesn't always work.  As the kids get home after school, I notice how Mira is already in a bad mood. This is gonna be one hard mother-to-daughter talk.  "So, honey, how are you? School work not too hard for you?" I quiz as I plump down next to Mira. It's the best opening line I've got. "Mom. Why are you bothering me all of a sudden? It's not like it matters that much to you." "Mira Rose, it seems you don't know. I care deeply for each one of you. At because I care, I'd like you to step inside my room: I'd like to talk to you."  It doesn't take a genius to see Mira does not want to sit down and talk, especially to me. "Mira, your sisters came to me last night, worried that there's something wrong with you. Your outbursts, personality changes... You may not think I'd understand your issues, but, it helps to talk about it."  Perhaps that had been the best thing to say! Mira bites down on her lip, struggling to find the words. "I have a problem, mom. But it's not a illness or anything. Okay, maybe it is. I have the urge... To steal things. Kleptomania. I think I'm gonna become a criminal if things go on this way."  You couldn't shock me more than throwing me with a bucket full of ice cold water. "Criminal? Criminal?! A thief! But Mira.." I struggle for words, and can't come up with a full sentence that doesn't contain a bad word.  Don't they teach the kids better than that at school...? I absently wonder.  "It's why I'm at the piano all the time: it almost "subdues my nature". The urge to steal is gone then. I don't wanna be a thief, just so you know. But it gets so bad... I stole someone's eraser, and the thrill of adventure, of danger, just from that. It was great," Mira admits shyly.  Mira and I never finish that conversation in the end, both of us going our separate ways for now. She's off to her piano, and I keep myself busy teaching the toddlers, thinking that maybe I should move the kids to a new school.. "But mo-oooo-om, I don't wanna go to a different school! I like the one I'm in now. All my friends are there! Darn Mira for choosing a stupid job.." "The school wouldn't be to far away, still in town, actually, so you'd still see you friends. And I guess... Mira has the freedom to choose her job, however uncomfortable it is for us." I haven't accepted Mira's "suggestion" for her future, but I haven't scolded her either.   Not that he would admit it, but Bleue's best friend is really his younger sister, Nadine. He has a lot of other friends, of course, but Nadine is his favorite by far.  As with our previous home, I had a basement built to have extra entertainment rooms. Now, at our beach home, we're not in dire need of extreme entertainment, but I did schedule something else to be built.. A pool! For whenever the beach is too busy and it's super hot outside.   The Basement Includes the swimming pool and a new hot tub.  Bleue Rose Never have I met another person that is so obsessed with his body and skill on the treadmill. Bleue is a true athlete, and loves watching sports on TV, or playing it outside.  Cherry Rose Cherry had an interesting style as a child, but now she has an ever more unique style! She's still in love with her childhood, as she loves all thing with hearts, or even Hello Kitty on it. Her vision is 20/20, but she prefers wearing classes, rounding off her eccentric look.  Even with out differences in style and personality, Cherry and I manage to bond over music. "So I'm thinking of auditioning for the school's talent show, but I'm not sure on what to wear... Should I go out like Lady Gaga, or something a bit more, how shall ordinary people say it... Normal?" "Keep it normal for the audition: when the big night comes, THEN you should wear the showstopper!"  The berry toddlers are just so cute, I can't stop snapping pictures of them!  The crazy-yet-awesome miss Liana Mason shows up at our house, and we chat for a few minutes, until we both come to the decision to go play outside in the sprinkler. I swear, we're little kids on the inside! "Do you just come visit to play on the slide and dance in the sprinkler?" I ask sarcastically. "Hmmm, yeah, I do!" she laughs.  Liana didn't lie: she LOVES the waterslide.   Rachel has very petite features, making her look cute even as a young adult. She has the dream of becoming a great doctor. Emily is the stylish one by far, but only because she's heading into the business career where she's going to need it! Mira has left us unanswered about her job, but her hair and choice of style points into the direction of a sports athlete.   With the house feeling almost empty without the triplets, I invite Matthias over for a night in the hot tub. It's redundant to talk about what happened.  I find Cherry working behind the bar, obsessed with making sure she doesn't use to much juice in her mixture. "What'cha doin'?" "Eating chocolate...," Cherry smiles cheekily at me. "Cherry, not that game again! Seriously, what are you up to now?" "I'm gonna be a cook someday, so might as well get used to measurements and stuff now.." She shrugs and continues with making some kind of drink.  Bleue came up with the great idea to go to the lake and go fishing, so we pack our picnic baskets and fishing rods, and climb into my Renault Fluence. Unfortunately for us, there's traffic, and more than once to I press the horn.  "Mom, we're like, right in front of the police station.. Don't you think we should quiet down a bit?" Bleue suggests. I roll my eyes. "I'll quiet down when that car moves. I swear the driver is deliberately taking long, taking pleasure from my grief." I almost want to rev the car, but in the end, decide that Bleue is right. No need for more theatricals.  It's a few minutes hike to where we want to get, and there's a lot of complaining from the toddlers. Thankfully they have their birthdays today. The outside air, the familiar look of the lake.. reminds me of that other mini vacation Chad and I took with the kids. Nope, nope, today is NOT the day to think about what happened later on..., I try to dispel the thoughts, if only for a while.  Lucas Rose Here we already have a little ladies man. Lucas found hair gel from who knows where, and styled his hair into spikes. His look is completed by a trendy jacket and loose pants. Who would'a thunk it!  Nadine Rose The name "Flora" would better suit my berry daughter. She's very in tune with nature, and loves to have photo's taken with flowers. Her nickname is now officially "Little Flower".   While Bleue is talking with the twins about school, Cherry and I take to the waters, whipping out the fishing rods and waiting patiently. "This is a very uninteresting activity, to be honest," she mutters.  After the short lunch, Lucas and Nadine run off to play tag, Bleue is taking a stroll and Cherry is still struggling to catch a fish. There's always something to ruin a good day. This comes in the form of a phone call from someone I don't really like. "Sylvia, why on earth are you calling me on a Saturday, the time when I spend time with my family?" "Because something's wrong, and I need your help. Chad isn't answering his phone, and he hasn't checked into work lately. I would go, but I'm stuck..in, em, classified business. Just, please?"  I only agree to go take a look because Chad hadn't been answering my calls either. And that wasn't like him. I knock on the door three times before stepping back. No answer came from inside. "Chad? Ya there? It's Destiny... You never called me back about that lunch suggestion!" "..Go...Away..." A feeble voice croaks from the other side of the door.  The voice is unmistakably Chad's, though a little different. Curiosity nibbles at my brain, and I slowly make my way over to the window, and stretch to the tip of my toes to look inside...  ..To find Chad, standing near the window, gazing at the wall. With glowing eyes. "OH, shoot!" I gasp.  Needless to say, I run all the way back home.  The entrance to our house way empty. I can hear faint laughter coming from outside. So the kids are in the swimming pool. I grab my laptop and thrust it on the dining room table, googling "Vampires". In the past, I had actually been a vampire myself, but for a short while. It's time to brush up on some facts. Pretty much all of the information I find are things I already know. Aversion to sunlight, creatures of the night, and so forth.   All of the TV there's news of a snowstorm that swept through a forest, a unexpected surprise for tourists. "That snow must be fake. It's not even winter yet!" Lucas complains. "Usually I would die before agreeing with Lucas, but in this case, he's right. It's all a setup!"  My phone buzzes with an irritating ringtone, making me grit my teeth: mental note, get a new jingle for the phone. It ends up being a tet message from... I scroll down. Wow. Dwayne. Cn I cum over sumtime? Dwayne My fingers hurry over the letters, and I send the reply: Tomorrow. Meet me @ my house. -Dessie  No one is in the mood to talk that morning at breakfast, even though I serve Fruit Parfait, Bleue's favorite food. "Why the long faces?" I whisper to Cherry. "New teacher at school for the junior kids. Apparently they don't like him much already," she shrugs.  Scurrying off to do the laundry, my eyes sweep to the outside world, and I see none other than Dwayne himself. "Oh darn, oh darn, oh darn...!" I keep muttering. Funny how he causes me to feel butterflies in the stomach.  I sit down quietly next to him. And that's how it is for the next few minutes. Silence lingers between us, as I'm afraid to break the ice, and I'm pretty sure he is too. "Something on your mind?" Dwayne smiles awkwardly.  "Well..." I pause. Should I tell him the entire vampire tale? It's a lousy conversation topic for sure. "Well... I recently found out a friend of mine... Okay, to be precise, my ex-boyfriend... Is a vampire. I don't know how it's possible. Chad just wouldn't ask for something like that. And now I want to try and help him."  "Along the way here I've been dreading talking to you, and here you start off with what I actually wanted to talk to you about..." "What do you mean?" I frown. "Well. You had your secret, and I kind of accepted it... But I have a secret too. Don't know if you would accept it."  "When you told me you were doing a baby challenge, I was shocked, but not as shocked when I heard some news. There was another reason I left Bridgeport, other than my girlfriend. My entire family lives there. But a bunch of evil vampires too. They turned my brother and sister, my mother, my father... But they accidentally killed my cousin who lived with us." "Killed? But vampires can't do that much damage, surely. Here in Sunset Valley we live in peace with them, and never have there been any killings." I'm shocked to hear the truth of Dwayne's life, but curious about all these revelations.  He sighs. "The vampire gene has started to mutate because of the children they keep having. It changes with generation. They're gifts are becoming more and more powerful. Worst of all, they can't be cured. And if they change other people, odds are they can't be cured of Vampirism either."  Dwayne's face falls with each word he utters, and his speech comes to an abrupt stop. "I'm afraid to tell you, but the mutation of vamps has started to spread to Sunset Valley. I know some of the new vampires of Bridgeport have started to move here, and they probably changed your friend..." "How.. How do you know all of this? Please don't tell me your like a special agent. Dear God, I've had enough of those." He smirks. "Hell no. I just have a buddy over there who I keep in contact with and forwards any new news about my siblings."  The sun already set when we finish up talking. It feels great to be on speaking terms with Dwayne again. "I'm so sorry for what happened to you, to your family. Know that I will always have hope for them." Dwayne touches my cheek, and his next move shocks me to the core. He. Kisses. Me. "Goodnight, Destiny," he waves and rides off in his car.   Along my way to the spa for a quick massage, I run into Rachel and Emily, who both tell me about their new jobs. Rachel is has been going through promotions faster than a Ferrari car would race, and already she can tell me about my future babies (not that I want to know: I like surprises!). As I walk back to my car, I spot the (possible) future school the kids could attend. A very impressive design from the outside. Now what would the inside look like?  Three days into the pregnancy, yet there are no signs of an impending labor. All I feel is calmness. Of course, they always say it's calm before the storm.  And storm it is! Roughly after 2 AM I awake to sharp pains. "Alright babies, time to show yourself..."  Say hello to these little bundles of joy...  Ryan Rose Baby #72  Reuben Rose Baby #73  Raylan Rose Baby #74 ~♥~ OH, totally forgot to add this... This month's cover for Challenge Zone is none other than..  ..Calista Smith! ~♥~ OMG, it's been what, almost 3 weeks since I last updated? Gosh, I'm horrible. So sorry for the wait! But the good news is, school is out for a week so I can focus more on the challenge! I'm too tired to write anything else here, so, um... Thanks for reading, and pretty please, leave a comment with any type of message, like suggestions or criteria! :) |
