from myself, extras and author's note

first, a note on the ending of stories:

Since this is kind of the first storyline that's been well and truly wrapped up in this blog, I thought I'd do a little author's note. I'll also probably want to give them each their own author's note when they're finished. For a time, I was doing the author's notes by round, but I think this works better, maybe.

But on the ending of stories in general, this is how it will work:

The storyline tags cover the arc of the story itself, from beginning to middle to end, and only the story. Both Micah and Mariah existed as Sims/characters before this story took shape, and those entries are not included. Likewise, the whole Buchanan family will still exist in Lakeside Heights in the future. You'll still hear from them in other stories, and they'll still get their once-a-round family update. But as far as I'm concerned, this story is finished, and I'm happy to let them have their peace, lol!

Basically, the storyline tags contain only what I would include if I were writing this as its own stand-alone book. It's still a work-in-progress, but main characters are also getting their own name tags as well, and those name tags will span the entire collection of stories, any entry they make a meaningful appearance in. So for further reading, you can continue to follow their tags: Mariah, Micah, and for entries relating to the whole family, Buchanan.

And James too. James is one of those who doesn't really have his own storyline, yet plays an important role in about three or four different stories. Or maybe he does have his own story, and I just haven't discovered what that is yet.

Anyway...

This obviously contains major spoilers, so if you haven't read through all the from myself stories, you'll want to finish those first.

Author's note on the "from myself" storyline:
The hows, and whys, and hitches in the writing of...

Price-Hudson wedding outtakes

For as simple as this wedding was, this was also the most FUN I've had doing a wedding in a really long time. They just wouldn't stop, lol! I thought I'd put all the funny in its own post, so not to disrupt the narrative flow ;)

This was actually the normal shot I thought I would use for the story (and that I'd put Chandler's "Score!" shot in the outtakes), but seeing as how they've always been a big bunch of goofballs, I just couldn't resist using it. But here, proof that they did have some serious moments.

from myself, part 3

November 2083 - Micah and Mariah Buchanan are 25. Chandler Price and Jane (Hudson) Price are 25.

* Soundtrack: "Songbird," by Fleetwood Mac *

In the beginning, Chandler and Jane had nothing but love.

No really, nothing but love.

And a used garage sale couch, folding card table, and two lawn chairs. They had some clothes, but they weren't very nice ones, so they didn't bother to wear them most of time, when they were just home alone.

For the first week of their life together, they spent their evenings in the dark. Chandler had forgotten to buy a lamp and they had to wait for his next paycheck to be able to have even light. But that was no big deal - they considered it an adventure. They loved each other in the dark, and when all else failed, Micah and Mariah lived just up the street a bit, with their hot meals and actual dinnerware to eat off of.

from myself, part 2

November 2083 - Micah and Mariah Buchanan are 25, Quinn is 15 months. (Madison Riley is 61.)

* warnings: NSFW/kids. Soundtrack: "Songbird," by Fleetwood Mac *

Micah looks out the window because he can't bring himself to look this man in the eyes. What he has to say isn't good news, and Micah already knows this. Out the window there's a dumpster, the street below, and his car parked with forty-five minutes left on the meter. "Your ideas are good," the team leader says. "But I don't know what you think we can do for you. We can't reasonably offer a place on the team without the proper certification."

"Oh, of course," Micah says. The room feels devoid of air. There's a plant in the corner, but it must be fake, because he imagines the lack of air would cause the veins and capillaries of the thing to collapse upon themselves, cause the leaves to shrivel and fold and wilt.

But they don't.

from myself, part 1

November 2083 - (part 1 of 3) - Micah and Mariah Buchanan are 25, Quinn is 15 months. (Jane Hudson is 25.)

* soundtrack: "Songbird," by Fleetwood Mac *

Micah is still working on city council, but he's starting to get the feeling that it won't really go anywhere. Blake Miller has been on city council for almost ten years now and hasn't gone anywhere. Politics is what it is sometimes. The people want who they want, and there's really no room to move otherwise. So Micah is supposed to be working up some sketch ideas with the city planning committee, as part of the Lake City downtown revitalization project. It's kind of a test run for a new career direction. He's always had a knack for doodling things, and they humor him with the task of plotting out stops on the new public bus lines. It's more exciting than you might imagine.

He feels like he's walked straight into his entire life. He only landed his current job because of who his mother-in-law is, and maybe because of his dimples. His wife only finally agreed to marry him because he knocked her up. From the outside, it might appear as if he's had some good luck, but that isn't the way it feels to him. He always tries to work hard, but it's never his hard work that pays off.

So if he can plot out the perfect frequency of bus stops for the new Lake City Transit plan, then he'll feel like he's accomplished something. Maybe next time they'll let him design a courtyard or something.

the brick, four vignettes

November 2083 - James Porter is 26, April Hutchins is 20 // Mariah Buchanan is 25 // Berjes Monif is 38, Jodie Larson is 28 // Beau Jackson is 20.

*soundtrack: "Brick" by Ben Folds Five *

11:13 a.m.
This is only the second time James has been back on campus since he left it, and it's bringing back memories both good and bad. These apartments weren't here when he was, and neither was the sculpture park and coffee bar on the corner. They've still got the student pub though. And that building at the end of the street, that old stuffy Academy Hall, was where he spent his senior year with Mariah.

This is only the second time he's been back on campus, and the first time was for her, the girl with the warm dark skin and bright blue eyes, the first girl he ever loved. He loved her and she spun him for one hell of a loop. He doesn't do drama. He doesn't do games, and Mariah is the reason why.

Maybe if he'd have met April a few years earlier, he might be up for it, but not now. Not after Mariah. She broke him good and clean. It's a shame she never seemed to do the same for herself.

under the skin, revisited

Gameplay notes, extras, outtakes, and assorted goodies for the four part, "under the skin" story series.

under the skin, part 3

August 2083 - Cameron Gibson is 32, Bella Bradshaw is 27, Micah and Mariah Buchanan are 25, James Porter is 26.

* soundtrack: "The Blower's Daughter," by Damien Rice. Warnings: unapologetic cheese? It's a wedding, I'm allowed ;) *

Bella Bradshaw and Cameron Gibson are married on a sweltering day in August, in a garden ceremony at Riley Hall, hot enough even the flowers seem to sweat. Their wedding is elaborate, but appropriate for a rising young film star and Lake City's prettiest playboy socialite. The guests are adorned in shades of silver and scarlet, as per Bella's fancy. Delilah and Naomi don't exactly understand all the fuss, but they're happy enough to be held and cooed over, while their parents make funny gestures and faces at each other.

more than I could ever promise, part 1

July 2083 - Orion Deppiesse is 49, Violet is 48, Dallas is 18, Delphie and Dakota are 12.

* soundtrack: "The Way I Am," by Ingrid Michaelson *

Dallas is leaving next week, and his sisters haven't wasted a single minute trying to decide who gets to move into his bedroom when he's gone. They've been sharing a bedroom since they were born, and Dakota, for one, is ready to break free into her own space. She's already staked her claim. "I'm the second-oldest," she says. "I was born fifteen minutes before her."

"I hope you don't think you're getting the stuff in my room," he says. "It's just a room. It's going to be empty. I know you just want my computer."

"You can't put it in the attic," Dakota says. "Electronics shouldn't be stored outside of room temperatures, in the winter, that attic can get down to fifteen degrees."

"It does," Delphie says.

"Only you guys would know that," he says.

LCU, life in present tense, part 3

LCU, spring semester, 2083 (part 3 of 3). Part 1, part 2, part 2.5.

*soundtrack (for all three parts), "Lifeboats," by Snow Patrol*

She was supposed to have an appointment with a recruiter, but instead it's General Deppiesse who walks into the room. He is confident, casual, and so eased in his stride she wonders if he actually knows she's sitting here. He finally says a simple, "Hello," without even looking her way. She figures he must be talking to her since there's no one else in the room.

This is her mother's doing, isn't it? When Keri wanted to study abroad, her mother wouldn't step in to help, but now that Keri wants to join the military, she's all over it. Keri is convinced her mother is dead-set against everything she ever wanted to do with her life. She's surprised her mother didn't somehow step in to call off her wedding. In fact, for all she knows, her mother probably tried.

something she can do

January 2083 - Bryson and Madison Riley are 60 (Mariah and Micah Buchanan are 24, Quinn is five months. Justin Kim is 23, Keri is 22.) Last update, January 2081.

"Ally Schultz," Madison says. "She's running against me this fall. Can you believe it?" Madison can actually believe it. That Ally was always a go-getter, whether it comes to men, or her career. "And if I recall correctly, wasn't she the one who stole my niece's boyfriend?"

"I wouldn't know," Cabe says.

"Anyway, not even thirty-five and she thinks she's going to run for Governor. Apparently she even lost that louse of a boyfriend to help her public image."

Cabe isn't normally the type for mindless gossip, but unfortunately Madison had to unload this bomb on somebody. But Cabe was scheduled to meet her for a military briefing, and they do have serious matters to attend to.

2082, extras

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

domestic bliss

August 2082 - Cameron Gibson is 31, Bella Bradshaw is 26, Delilah Gibson is 9 months. Last update, November 2080. *Optional soundtrack, "Sex and reruns," by Matt Duke*

*** This is long ;) ***

She missed a recording session because he wasn't home yet. She hates missing work! It's the one thing in the world she's ever been competent at, and not many people actually get this chance she's gotten and she's not going to blow it because he's a flake!

"Where were you?" she says, her voice calm and cold as he walks into the living room.

"Working," he says. "Is Lila in bed?"

"Of course she is. It's nine-freaking-thirty!"

happy birthday to you...

August 2082 - Welcome to Lakeside Heights: Willow and Quinn!

Stephanie Day thinks she just might have been pregnant forever! Of course, that's not realistically possible, but it sure does feel like it. So when Stephanie goes into labor at 2:00 in the morning, she doesn't mind one bit. She just wants this baby BORN! But happy as she is that this is finally happening, she thinks maybe Jeremiah could smile just a little less. It's kind of annoying, given the pain and all.

happy mother's day!

I know there are a lot of mommies who read this blog, so in honor of Mother's Day...

LCU, a lesson in biology

LCU, spring semester, 2082 (last semester, fall 2081)

Keri just HAS to see this house, all the way out in the freaking suburbs! She's still not over it all, and says, "I can't believe you got married. You, got married! Not even a year ago, you didn't even want to live with him, so you married him?"

"He grew on me," Mariah says. "What can I say?"

Keri says, "And I can't believe you got yourself knocked up, haven't you ever heard of birth control???"

happy new year, 2082!

Happy New Year, 2082.

It isn't New Year's Eve. It isn't New Year's Day either. Today is the second of January, and he's there to walk her home from work, like he always does, except today, they have one stop to make first.

2081, extras

Before we start the new year, here are some random extras, outtakes, and misfits from the year 2081.

in real life

December 2081 - Berjes and Hailey Monif are 36, Hazel is 12. (Jodie Larson is 26. Mariah Riley is 23. Hayden Phoenix is 32.) Last update, October 2079.

Maybe nobody's really happy, so maybe it doesn't matter that Berjes has screwed everything up really, really bad.

Hailey is throwing around the D-word. She says Aurora's brother is a lawyer, and could have the papers ready as soon as she wants. She's bad-mouthing him to their daughter, and she gloats at it when Hazel echoes her tone in perfection, saying, "Eeew, Dad, you are not from this planet, I swear it! Put some clothes on! Nobody wants to see your hairy back!"

Berjes would like to state that his back hair is perfectly groomed, thank you! And he says, "I see you've been talking to your mother."

LCU, reining bridezilla

LCU, fall semester, 2081

***Very long, but picture-heavy, mostly - it's a wedding, you know ;)

Justin gulps hard and says, "You hired a housekeeper for this tiny apartment?"

Keri says, "Well, yeah! You didn't think I was going to clean it myself!"

"You hired that housekeeper?"

Keri says, "Well, you don't have to stare." But Keri can't help staring either. And it's not that she even likes girls like that, but she has to admit, that's one hell of a bosom!

Justin says, "Can we get you an outfit like that?"