prequel stories #10: wedding pictures

I actually don't know why I had this post saved up in my drafts for so long. But I'm kind of under the weather this weekend, so I think I'll post this up to pacify you all so I can slack off on the next update for a couple/few more days ;)

Be warned, these are very old pictures. And this was long before I learned to download much proper CC, so some of these outfits are truly terrible, lol!

testing things, breaking stuff...

Pardon me while I try not to make too much of a mess out of this place.

Testing some new image sizes...

poll: low key couples you'd like to hear more from?

The low key couples you'd like to hear more from?

LCU, landslide, part 2

October 2083 - LCU, fall semester (part 2 of 4) - Dallas Deppiesse is 19, Fenton Dyer and Iris Barton are 20. (Lucy Harris is 17.)
* soundtrack for all parts, "Landslide," by Fleetwood Mac *

The residence hall at Takemizu Academy has an ancient wishing well hidden among some trees, but Dallas won't touch it. He refuses to touch it! Because the first and only time he touched it was the first day he got here - the first hour he got here, before he'd even unpacked his bags - and this is what it told him: "The time will come for you to make a decision."

What the hell is that supposed to mean???

He also didn't know that a swarm of bees had taken up inside it. The coin he tossed disrupted their sleep, and in the space of seconds, they woke up and rushed toward him. He was stung thirty-two times.

prequel stories #8: reconstructing the founders, part 1

In April of 2006, a group of young college graduates decided to start their brand new lives by settling in a once-quiet little town called Lakeside Heights. Until now, there has been little record of who these people were, apart from a few aged photos and the basic public record of their family tree. This effort is to reconstruct their lives as best we can, through their family who might remember them.

2083, we don't need no education

September 2083 - schools update, fall.

* note: trying something a little different this time. Since I know you guys usually enjoy the school posts, I'm expanding the usual age-up back-to-school update into a mash-up of age transitions and a regular school update, like I usually do in the spring. This fall one will focus more on the kids in these transitional ages, where the spring update will still focus on everyone or whatever stories are prominent at the time ;) *
Bluewater Township: where they shall practice telepathy....

starting high school, 9th grade (15 years): Liza Hathe

"You're supposed to do the reading before class," Liza says, seeing Robbie flip through his school book in her peripheral vision.

"It was just so hard," he says. "I wish I could come with you." What he means is, he wishes she could still help him with his classwork.

school extras, picspam

This post was scheduled ahead for Sunday, so I guess if you're reading it, that means it worked. I should be back online some time Monday to respond to comments... you know, if everything goes according to plans, which is always questionable in moving...

Scheduling entries ahead always makes me nervous, since you'll be reading it before I get a chance to see it published myself, and it could be loaded up with glaring horrible typos 'n stuff, lol! So good thing it's just a fluff post ;)

The extras are coming before the actual school update this time, but these aren't really the spoilery kind of outtakes. I just wanted to separate all this picspam and administrative stuff, so I could keep the story stuff all flowy and nice.

happy birthday to you...

September 2083 - Welcome to Lakeside Heights: Ian, Ingrid, Jacob, Catherine, and Rebecca.

It was a rainy day, early this September, two weeks shy of her due date and not even the slightest warning when the Thompson twins decided to make their sudden appearance. Adam was just about to help Heather down the stairs when her water broke there at the landing. Adam is a mathematician, and he didn't really take many health classes in college, and it's been four years since Laney was born, so he's not really sure if he remembers this all very well.

Regardless though, these babies are coming!

come undone, extras

Psst, Lara... that's not your husband...

After what was the longest "chapter" I've ever written for this story (totally got carried away there, lol!), I've decided to start doing these extras by chapter from now on, instead of by year.

Okay, so let's see what other extras, misfits, and outcasts we might have from the spring/summer 2083, "come undone" chapter...

more than I could ever promise, part 2

August 2083 - Dallas Deppiesse is 19, Delphie and Dakota are 13. (Lucy Harris is 17.)

* soundtrack: "The Way I Am," by Ingrid Michaelson. Warnings: cheese? Dude, I tried to avoid it, but sorry, it couldn't be helped :) And maybe a tissue or two. *

Problem one, Delphie and Dakota are bored. But that isn't the most pressing problem. Things can be done about that. Problem two, they're supposed to tell Dallas before they go anywhere, where they're going, and when they'll be back. That's not exactly the problem either. The problem is, it's only twelve hours until Dallas leaves in the morning, and he's busy saying goodbye to Lucy. They've been saying goodbye for months it seems, all gross and entangled in all that affection.

Dakota says, "No way, I'm not going up there. You go up there and tell him."

sittin' in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g

A guide to different height kissing:

Height differences between lovers can add a lot of realistic value to a story, but the in-game standing kissing animations can get pretty wonky. This is always one of the first complaints people bring up when they consider using different heights in their game, and was also my biggest complaint until I found some work-arounds. In these romantically-inclined stories, you know how we need to get our kiss on around here!

So nobody specifically asked me to do this one, but I've been using different heights in my game for some time now, and discovered a few tricks, so I thought I would share them.

Dallas and Lucy are happy to oblige us in the demonstration of these techniques ;)

one day, at Fort Bluewater...

May 2083 (mini-update) - Tyler Jackson (19), Jeremiah Day (26), Joel Harris (41).

One day, at Fort Bluewater, Tyler finds a helicopter. He's never seen one this close, the large metal monstrosity poised there on top of the roof, as if ready to spring into the sky.

taken seriously

April 2083 - (2082/83 school year update)

*** as usual, I can't feasibly link to the family updates of each kid, so use the database and school enrollment if you need to ***
Bluewater Township: where Fiona McCullough shall rule the world!

As the school day begins in Bluewater Township, Robbie greets his best friend Liza with warm and questionably friendly hug. She looked a little cold, and she probably would be since it's only early April still. You know how these teenagers refuse to be bothered with jackets when they should.

But that's okay, Robbie insists, his arms will warm her just fine.

Fiona is thinking, Well isn't he a charming little booger?

His mother is thinking, Oh hell, already? At twelve?

one day, when there isn't much time left...

March 2083 (mini-update) - Dallas Deppiesse is 18, Lucy Harris is 16.

One day, when there isn't much time left, Dallas and Lucy have a study date. The house is empty and quiet, but he locks the door anyway. He puts on some music, softly, her favorites. He figures they should have music. It seems like something people would do for this occasion, though they don't normally play music when they're together. He prefers to hear her sounds instead.

2082, extras

Extras, misfits, and outtakes from the year 2082 :)

stories about you

December 2082 - Joel Harris is 41, Aurora is 37, Zach is 4. (Valerie Shaw is 41, Nathan Lind is 32, Ally is 29.) Last update, February 2081.

"No funny business," he tells her. "I want pictures."

She complies, their four year-old is just feet away on the ice rink after all. Though she feels she could rip his clothes off and have him right there in that photo booth, even as cold as it is outside. She'd be efficient, they don't need to remove everything.

It's just the way she gets this time of the month - after years of trying to have their first child, Aurora Harris is well-versed in the art of baby-making. She's an expert on it, and she knows she's ovulating. She doesn't need the thermometer or calendars anymore, she can feel it happening, the ripeness. The hormones, urges, and lust that drive this new life to be born.

But what she doesn't know is if this is just biology at work, or does she actually want another baby?

2082, we don't need no education

Whoa! Who the heck are all these kids??? Let's see who all is growing up this year.

one day, while Dallas is working...

August 2082 (mini-update) - Violet Deppiesse is 48, Lucy Harris is 16.

One day, while Dallas is working, Lucy needs somebody to talk to. She doesn't feel like she can talk to her own mother about this, especially because it's about Dallas. Her own mother "approves" of Dallas, but only in a necessary way. What Lucy needs is someone who really understands how great Dallas is, and who understands that better than his own dear mommy? So she climbs into the hot tub where Violet is relaxing, and Lucy pours her sweet little heart out.

lost and found

May 2082 - (2081/82 school year update)

*** note: there are a LOT of kids in these school updates, so remember to use the database and school enrollment page if you need it ***

"You can get pregnant! And you, and you, and you!" Jodie points to each one of them. Liza Hathe shivers, shakes her head and says under her breath, "Eeew!"

Given a recent surprise baby boom in Lake County, Jodie Larson has been asked to give a talk on birth control to the junior and senior high school students. Even though the trend is mostly happening with grown women who should know better, these are the next generation's grown women, so they figure maybe they'll educate before they get that far.

Jodie says, "Having a baby is kind of like a jail sentence, at any age. But having an oops baby when you're young is like death row! Your life is over, ladies!"

tethered

April 2082 - Toby and April Harris are 42, Lucy is 15, Sarah is 13, Sam is 10. (Dallas Deppiesse is 17.) Last update, September 2078.

Lucy is still not allowed to date Dallas Deppiesse, but it has proven to be a lost cause trying to keep them apart. So her parents reason that she is allowed to have friends, and indeed, a friend he is. A friend that she watches movies with, holds hands with, and kisses goodnight at the door. A friend who drives her home from work, invites her over to dinner with his family, and stays until ten almost every night to "study." And the touching, always touching, her fingertips graze his ankle, or his hand comes to rest on her knee, as if they might die if they weren't constantly tethered by some kind of vital but invisible life force.

And nobody wants to mention - you know silly kids and their fragile egos - but do they even realize that they've started to dress color-coordinated?

But both of their grades remain consistently excellent, so who can complain? Call it what you will.