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.

prequel stories #8: reconstructing the founders, part 2

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.

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.

LCU, life in present tense, part 1

LCU, spring semester, 2083 (part 1 of 3). Last semester, fall 2082.*soundtrack (for all three parts), "Lifeboats," by Snow Patrol*

Her mother said she wasn't cut out for this, that she was spoiled rotten, that being in the military would hit her like a brick wall. Keri knows that she's been spoiled, and she just couldn't resist throwing back, "Well whose fault is it if I am spoiled!?!"

Her mother didn't speak to her after that.

They had one terrible spat about it, and then her mother went silent. Keri knows this silence doesn't mean acceptance, and it certainly isn't approval, but instead it is coldness and waiting. Waiting to see what will happen, what will she choose to do? After all, Keri Riley-Kim is a full grown woman now, and entitled to make her own decisions, among everything else she's entitled to.

But she only gets her father on the phone these past couple of months, and surely her mother, when she is home, is seeing a name on the caller ID and handing it straight over to Bryson each time. Keri wants what she wants, but it doesn't stop her from feeling icky inside. Keri says, "Maybe you might send mom this time, if she's home?"

"You know she's busy," Bryson says. But she needs him to come watch Lillian so she can go to her yoga class, and then real class, and could he pick up some diapers on the way?

"Daddy, please," she adds, and Bryson comes running.

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.

prequel stories #3: young loves

So I've gotten kind of carried away with these, lol! Looking back through two years worth of pictures, and I've found so many stories I'd like to tell! Most of those stories will have to wait for another time, but I've come up with three more, for now, and then I promise we'll start round 2082! And I want to start round 2082, because I have some good stuff planned, but I figure we'll get these out of the way first.

The "young loves" theme ended up being really huge, so I've broken it in half, loosely divided between the couples who worked out, and the couples who didn't. So part 2 will be prequel story #4: the cutest couples never meant to be. Which in turn inspired prequel story #5: what ever happened to Samantha Bradshaw?

But first, prequel story #3: young loves :)

happy mother's day!

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

2081, extras

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

Lake City Metro Business Award

The Lake City Metro Business Award will be given every four years, and will be worth $50,000. Voters will decide the winner, and they may vote based on anything they wish, whether that be financial need, favorite Sim, or the merit of the business idea. Voting will begin in March of 2081, and last through August. The winner will be announced in September. The winner may spend the award any way they choose, as long as the money is invested in a qualifying business in Lake City or its surrounding suburbs.

Madison Riley has interviewed the four finalists...

the state of the Riley family

January 2081 - Madison and Bryson Riley are 58 years old. (Mariah Riley is 22, Keri is 20.)

*** notes: I've recently started linking to the family's most recent update in the date header ;) And also note in this update, I am changing Madison's title to Governor of State... further notes about that to follow after the update ***

One of Madison's first orders of business this year, with the taxpayer's hard-earned money, is to make over the Governor's Estate. It's still being renovated inside at the moment, but she thinks it was worth the effort. Check out this crib! She hopes the taxpayers like it, because it's going to be a vital part of the Lake City skyline for years to come.

The door on the right is to Madison's new Governor's office, which is accessible from the street, and separate from the rest of the estate.

she loves him, she loves him not

*** Lakeside Heights is back in business ;) ***

December 2080 - Andy and Claire Bradshaw are 54. (Amelia Bradshaw is 25.)

As her sister-in-law carries on about which of her daughters' boyfriends might be cuter, Claire Brashaw is wondering, when did this become all they had to talk about, the men their daughters might or might not marry? Why not discuss what smart, independent, and beautiful young women they've grown into instead?

But Madison insists, "You know, Justin is a great kid, but you should have seen the cutie Mariah is dating!"

"Is she dating?" Claire asked. "I thought she broke up with him."

"Oh, not that one," Madison says. "A different one. You know how it is at that age."

LCU, a very dear friend

LCU, fall semester, 2080

*Long, as these LCU updates tend to be...*

Justin is exiled this semester, in what was supposed to be an exciting year of study abroad, instead he'll spend the year at Takemizu Academy without Keri. And it looks like he's going to spend the whole year beating off girls with a stick. He's never considered himself a dream-boat or anything. Not that he thinks he's ugly, and sure, he supposes he's kind of funny, but this desperate girl is just insatiable! She won't take no for an answer. But NO is the answer, since this man is very happily engaged - even if Keri is a world away. He's even thinking about hiring a hit-man.

Lake County Hall

October 2079, Bryson and Madison Riley are 57.

***Just a little bit of an update here. I wanted to show you the new County Hall, and Madison's plans for her term as mayor.***

Lake County Hall, on a rainy day. (building by sunni)

The Mayoral Home, in downtown Lake City. (downloaded, can't remember where from?) Madison Riley, and her husband Bryson will live in Lake City, conveniently right across the street from the County Hall, and is also conveniently (and coincidentally) next door to the Riley Estates Building.

2079, we don't need no education!

Another school year starts in Lake County!

the business of winning an election

June 2079 - Bryson and Madison Riley are 57, Keri is 18.

It's been a rough couple of years for Bryson and Madison Riley, but after some time, Bryson has finally made things up to his wife. However, he has not quite made up so well with his daughter.

may, in bloom

May 2078 - Jeremy Nova is 62, Alice is 56, Patrick is 26, Lara is 24, Stephanie is 18. Keri Riley is 17. Tyler Jackson is 14.

Patrick Nova squeezes in a few last shows for some extra money, because his wife, Lara, is expecting in August.

grandma Nina in the clubbing business

December 2077, Benjamin Gothier and Nina Shaw-Gothier are 61. (Maxwell Shaw is 31)

"Mom, can I borrow $12,000?" Maxwell says.

Nina wonders if he thinks she can't see that mischievous look on his face!

don't mess with Bryson Riley (unless you're his daughter or his wife)

July 2077, Bryson and Madison Riley are 54, Mariah is 18, Keri is 16.

Madison's brother, Cody coming over for dinner is just a cover. While Madison is in the kitchen making baked salmon and rice pilaf, they have business to discuss.

the lofts, moving in with bad luck in tow

May 2077, Cody Bradshaw is 58, Kendal Bradshaw is 56, Cameron Gibson is 26, Marisa Wilson is 23, Charlotte Centowski is 23.

(Emergency update! This household was already played this round, and I was just moving Charlotte in after graduation, not even five minutes and all hell breaks loose! I swear bad luck must follow this girl wherever she goes.)

What you see here is wrong on so many levels, and let me try to explain how. This is Bryson Riley (Cody's brother-in-law, married to Cody's sister Madison), getting pretty darn chummy with Autumn Bradshaw (Cody's ex-wife), with Cody in plain view!!! You just don't get more drama than that!!!

would-be royalty, if Lakeside Heights had such things

July 2075 - Bryson and Madison Riley are 53, Mariah is 17, Keri is 15.

(from left: Madison, Keri, Mariah, Bryson)

Bryson Riley was the only son of one of the neighborhood's founders, David Riley. Bryson's father was known as a brilliant business man, but nobody knew that he left his son with barely-profitable businesses and a load of debt. Bryson is really the brilliant one in the family, and in the years since his father's passing, he has been able to rid his reputation as a slum-lord, and turn that debt into a fortune with hard work and a lot of luck. Bryson Riley is by far Lakeside Heights' most successful resident!

Bryson Riley owns the Riley Estates Company, which manages several properties in the metro area.