A Tale of Happenstance - Chapter 1
A Random Legacy by me… because we all I know I couldn’t free-play forever. *g*
Pic count: 35 , Word count: 2734
The obligatory profile picture/stats/ltw post. My founder is Lorena Destiny Happenstance and her Generation, Gen 1, will be following these Random Rules:
Marital Status: Single
Children: 2
Income: Journalism
Generation Goal: Perfect Careers - All careers and jobs for the heir (and the spouse, if applicable) must be raised to the highest level. In addition, all skills related to that career must be level 10. For example, if sim A is in the military career and his partner sim B is a sculptor, sim A must have maxed athletics and handiness, as well as reached level 10 in his/her career, while sim B must have maxed the sculpting skill.
Miscellaneous Fun: Runs in the Family - Pick a trait. Preferably a trait one of the parent sims has. Every sim born this generation must have this trait before reaching young adulthood. ( I should have re-rolled this one, because she’s the founder. There is no one else in her gen to share this trait, unless her future husband has it, too. Aaaand.. she rolled to be a single mom, so no future husband.
)
Annnnd now…
This is it?
She couldn’t help but feel disappointed as she exited the cab she’d taken from the (very small) Hidden Springs air port. This was the place the main office had provided for her? The pictures she’d seen made it look green on the outside, but they were far away. Up close it looked… truly hideous.
She supposed it was alright, but it really wasn’t her style at all. If she decided to stay here, it would need a makeover for sure!
Lorena’s first official act after getting settled was to head on into town and locate to the field office. She worked for The SIM Times, which was only the most widely read newspaper publication in the entire world. And this? Was her first assignment since she graduated from being a glorifed go-fer.
She found the offices easily enough and checked in with her new boss. She was a little disappointed to learn that she would be starting out as a paper delivery consultant, however. She really had been hoping for something more challenging. When she complained to her boss, she was told… “look, if you want something to do… there’s this gypsy wagon that just arrived in town, too. Why don’t you go check it out. If you do a good write up, we may publish it.”
Encouraged, Lorena went to see the gypsy fortune teller. She didn’t know quite what she expected - maybe a grizzled old woman with a thick accent and spooky references to a crystal ball or something - but the pleasant young woman who offered her tea and cookies? Not that, for sure. They chatted a while and Lorena discovered that the family had come from Midnight Falls originally and that they were looking forward to settling here. Hidden Springs was nice, the girl - Jasmina- explained.
Then she offered to read Lorena’s tea leaves for free. Just this once.
Back at home, she enjoyed a quick dinner of mac & cheese and then settled down to watch some tv. She did not really believe the things Jasmina had told her about being the start of a grand legacy, but one with a lot of twists and turns. She thought it was nothing but a load of malarkey and soon dismissed it. Especially the part of ‘soon meeting someone you will be drawn to.’
She probably said those kinds of things to everyone.
The morning involved more exploration of the town. She checked out the local art and history museum and learned a little bit more about Hidden Springs. It was fascinating stuff.
“Ugh. More comfort soup. Do you have any idea how bored I am of comfort soup?”
Lorena decided that staying home and eating her Gramma’s comfort soup simply because it was the only recipe she knew how to make was NOT the best way to make friends in a new town.
So off she goes to the local karaoke bar, where she -badly -sings her heart out. Badly. Badly was mentioned, right?
Badly or not, her singing drew the attention of one Renauld Vanderberg. Renauld, as Lorena learned practically as soon she got off the plane a couple of days ago, is one of those Vanderbergs. The ones who own almost everything in town and whose ire you don’t want to incur. Ever.
Renauld is also Leader of the Free World, which is kind of impressive when you think about it.
Imagine Lorena’s surprise when she gets a phone call from his office, asking her to meet him for an ‘after dinner meeting at that quaint gypsy shack.’
It was actually kind of suspicious. What did the leader of the free world want with her? And why the out of the way meeting place?
Renauld suggests drinks at the local bistro as a “more civilized venue for their date” and as he drives them their in his high-priced SUV, Lorena ponders the use of the term ‘date.’ She was called to a meeting, not a date, no matter who it was with. So far, this was NOT working out like she had assumed it would.
As you imagine, this complicated things, too. They hadn’t even ordered yet when Lorena hears a strange type of ‘music’ and then saw even stranger lights appear in the sky above the bistro. The lights chased her down and sucked her up up up into a vortex of energy.
Renauld waited for her…
… which kind of surprised her, really, considering they’d just met and all. That was kind of sweet of him, really. He even offered to drive her home after her ordeal, like a proper gentleman.
A few nights later, she was surprised when he knocked on her door, right about dinner time. He had Chinese take out in his hands and a smile on his face.
“We never did have our date,” he told her in a charming voice.
“You keep calling it a date,” she said, still confused by that much. ”But I was called to a meeting, not a date. I’m a journalist. Not a call girl.”
“Yes, yes of course, Lorena,” he agreed whole-heartedly. ”I would never cast such dispersions upon you, my dear. I am merely, as you would say, old fashioned in my beliefs that pretty young women such as yourself should be treated with more respect and gentility than a mere ‘meeting’ might allow. Now…” he added, holding up the take out boxes. ”Where shall I put these?”
Lorena pointed to the counter. She felt self conscious in the tiny hovel she’d been given along with her assignment. It wasn’t fancy and it wasn’t big. He was used to better than this.
If Renauld noticed her discomfort, he didn’t say anything about it, or the state of her house other than to call it ‘charming.’ They settled in at table and ate chatted while they ate their Chinese noodles. By the end of the ‘date’ Lorena knew quite a bit about Renauld, his rise to be Leader of the Free World and his marriage.
His very rocky marriage, she might add.
Lorena tried very hard to maintain a ‘professional’ relationship with Renauld, because he was a Vanderberg and was the Leader of the Free World. A powerful man who could easily squash a little nobody journalist like herself. No matter how charming he was and no matter how well he treated her. Despite these efforts, however, she found herself inexplicably drawn to him.
Just like the gypsy woman had said.
She couldn’t stop thinking about him, and couldn’t help herself from abandoning the gypsy article in favor of writing Renauld a love letter.
Which, in turn, she inexplicably mailed to his office, where is wife wouldn’t see it.
She knew that she shouldn’t be doing this, but she couldn’t seem to help herself. Before she knew it, she and Renauld were secret lovers.
At first, she thought the random the bouts with nausea was just a stomach bug. Everyone was coming down with something right now. The Hidden Springs Health Department had just issued their usual yearly warning.
But at it persisted, waking her earlier in the mornings, where she was forced to vomit next to nothing into the toilet, she had to admit… this was not a normal stomach flu.
She was pregnant. And also ravenously hungry, thanks to the little tape worm who now resided inside her.
Pregnant or not, she still had a job to do, and that meant covering the local Leisure Day Festival.
The Make-Your-Own Sno Cone stand was fun.
And the snow cones were really good. So good, in fact, that she went back for a second one. Yum!
She got to watch the Hot Dog Eating contest… which was won by Liam O’Dourke, a cute yet kinda nerdy ginger.
Suddenly, she didn’t feel like dancing anymore…
…. BLEEEEEEEECHK!
Something she ate obviously did NOT agree with her.
Lorena went home after that, the festival experience ruined totally by the smell of vomit and hot dogs. Yuck, simply yuck.
Since learning that Lorena is pregnant with his child, Renauld has chosen to become very public in his affections for her. He takes out, in public, to places like the movie theater, and to the Bistro. Their favorite restaurant.
Everywhere they go, Renauld showers her with flowers and gifts. Although she finds his sudden lack of secrecy confusing, she enjoys the attention.
Although, there was a bot of other confusion at the movie theater, when Renauld went all hater on this guy.
Lorena did not know it at the time, but the woman in the blue checked coat was Renauld’s wife. His very equally powerful and successful wife with whom he had two step children.
She would learn that later.
It all comes out after an altercation with his step daughter at The Bistro. Lorena knew the young woman was a Celeb, but she didn’t know that she was a Vanderberg, and she had no idea why everyone at the Bistro that night seemed to hate Renauld so much.
Later, in the privacy of her hovel, he admitted the truth. His family was, as he put it, a very disfunctional one. His marriage to his wife was a ‘business arrangement’ and neither of them truly loved each other. His step children - a son and a daughter - hated him because he wasn’t their true father.
“Don’t take it personally, my dear Lorena, ” he soothed. ”They hate everyone anyway.”
Finally, the baby was born. Lorena named him Ashton Brody Happenstance.
At this point, I will stop story-telling to point out that I randomly chose which of Lorena’s 2 hypothetical children would be carrying on the legacy via Random.org.
This method is discussed in the General Rules # 7: From each generation, choose a sim to become the heir. The heir must be one of the children that counted in the previous heir’s roll for # of children (in other words, the heir must have been raised in the legacy household, but doesn’t necessarily have to be the genetic child of the previous heir). If a sim is not the chosen heir, they must be moved out of the household (kicked out or moved to a new house) within 24 sim hours of aging up to young adult.
And also in the Optional Rules #1: 1. The Famous “Heir” Rule : Once you know how many children your Sims need to have, Roll a random number between 1 and . The number rolled will be the number child born (in chronological order) who must be heir.
Usually, I run an heir poll for these things, but polls take time and then I get bored or anxious to start playing again. So, I will be employing the “Famous Heir Rule” method of heir choosing.
Also at this time, Gen 2′s Random Rules were rolled, and Ashton (and his future sib) walked away with these:
Marital Status: Couple
Children: 3
Income: (P) Private Investigator
Spouse: Stylist
Generation Goal: Perfectionist - Choose a skill for your Sim to be perfect at. Your Sim must max this skill, and also complete all skill challenges related to this skill (found in the Skill Journal of your Sim’s Skill Panel), except in cases where the skill challenge requires your Sim to make money to complete the challenge.
Miscellaneous Fun: Hidden Heritage - The mother(s)/father(s) of the heir’s children must have a special hidden trait. These hidden traits are found on WA locals/tourists, Supernatural lifestate Sims, and certain service NPCs.
So… our heir, Ashton, must get married to a woman of special heritage, produce 3 children, and become a PI. Not such a far stretch for a kid with a journalist for a mom. (after this, I think I am just going to screen cap my Generation rolls. posting a cap is easier.)
Anyways…
Lorena brought Ashton home and put him to bed.
She is exhausted, and so is Renauld, who stays the night with her.
They are awoken by Ashton several times during the night. At first, Renauld patient with his new born son, but after a while, his patience wears thin. Babies are… well, babies. And they cry.
In the morning, he and Lorena have much to discuss. Lorena soon learns that while she has been asleep, Renauld has made some decisions on her behalf. Decisions he intends to hold as stead-fast rules.
She will be remaining here, in this house.
He will support the child, as it is his.
She will not block him from visiting his son whenever he feels like it.
Their ‘intimate relationship’ ends there.
“What do you mean… our intimate relationship ends there?” she asks, her eyes narrowing. She’s tired. She just had a baby, after all.
“It seems simple enough, Lorena. My wife and I have decided to ‘give it a proper go’ for the sake of our family.” For appearances, he means. ”Our time together has been delightful, my dear, but it was but a pleasant and fleeting interlude. Which has no concluded.”
He said the last bit in an ominous tone of voice and Lorena soon realized that this was Renauld’s “Leader of the Free World” voice. She would get no sympathies and no supporters if she tried to fight him. She could lose her job if she bucked the system and tried to expose him. She could lose her son, as well.
Not that that had said any of these things. No, he had not said them, but they could easily be inferred in that tone of voice.
Her hands were tied.
Ashton was a cute little pill bug, but then again, most babies are.
Lorena, however, could not help but feel frustration at her situation. A single, unwed mother who’s powerful ex-lover crush her like a bug at any moment.
That hot-headed trait of hers railed at the unfairness of it all, even though she would never take it out on poor little Ashton.
It was bad enough that Renauld’s preferred method of visitation consisted of him sitting on the couch, watching television and totally ignoring his son. She had inkling of why his step children disliked him so much.
He even ‘missed’ Ashton’s birthday despite being in the same room with him.
Despite being totally ignored by his father, Ashton still grew up to be a generally happy, smiling toddler. Of that, Lorena was certainly very proud.
Final Simmer’s Notes: In totally epic failure on EA’s fault, Ashton has gray old man hair. I decided to change it, so I went into CAS to see what Renauld’s hair was when he was a younger man (so I could save it an apply to his son), and realized that Renauld was a younger man. He isn’t an elder, like I assumed… he’s an Adult, with gray old man hair. EPIC FAIL, EA. Epic fail. So Ashton, my heir, has gray old man hair. *sigh*
I don’t generally like messing with their genetics. But if he doesn’t look cute in gray old man hair as he gets older, he may wind up with a ‘rebellious streak’ and dye it. Because knowing my luck, that gray old man hair will pass down to every gen.
That being said, welcome to my Random Legacy. I hope you enjoyed the story.
Mirrored from The Simming Life.