Chapter 2 - Part 19: Experiment No. 6

Charlton Island, a small landmass in the Simmean Sea, began its quiet history as a very small fishing village. Established in the early 1900's, the Island slowly became popular with a wealthier crowd who began buying up the land for their large vacation homes.

However, in the spring of 1936 a massive hurricane destroyed much of the island.  After the long rebuilding process was complete, the lower class construction and trade workers stayed on, making the island a permanent home and providing a working economy.

Throughout the more recent years tourism and the art scene had seen a big boom on Chartlon Island, making it a haven for all who find themselves there.


"Ugh, I hate it here," Flora whined.  "There's nothing to do!  It's too small!  There's not even a downtown, just your stupid Town Center," she emphasized with distain. "Who wants to hang out at Town Center, anyway?"


"People have survived with far less, Flora," her mother replied from the kitchen where she was preparing lunch.  It had been a long day of moving and the last of the furniture had finally been brought into the house.  Everyone was exhausted.


"I know this isn't easy for you. It's been hard for us all," Faith said as she continued chopping, trying to remain positive, "your father and I did what we thought was best for the safety of the family.  Who knows, you might grow to like it here, find a nice boy, perhaps?" she said light-heartedly.


Faith continued trying to lift her daughter's spirits, "They also have an excellent school system here.  I know you're graduating at the end of this year, which is coming up so quickly, but for the short time you're there perhaps you can meet some new friends or pick up an after-school activity."


It was several minutes later before Faith realized she'd been talking to herself.


One saving grace about this place, Flora thought, was that she got her own 'suite' downstairs.  She had her own bedroom and bathroom, as well as a large main area.  Unfortunately it was furnished with all the leftovers that couldn't fit anywhere else in the house, making her feel as if she was living in a thrift store.


"This place is so lame," she muttered to herself.


Making her way to the school the next morning, Flora tried putting on a brave face.  Being the 'new girl' this late in her senior year was so unfair.  She had been at the top of her grade back in Harmony and now she has to start over and work her way back up.  It would be impossible for her to get back up to top marks before the end of the school year.


I don't even know why I'm bothering to show up at all, she thought to herself as she made her way inside.


Once her uneventful school day let out she hopped on her bike and decided to take a ride around town to see exactly what this dump her parents had moved her to had to offer.

The small 'Town Center', as her mother had so endearlingly called it, definitely lived up to its small name.  Though, begrudgingly, it did seem to have some things to do, from what Flora could see.


She was passing by one of the many large brick buildings that seemed to fill every block, when she glimpsed a figure in a second floor window and immediately a strange feeling overcame her.  It was as if a tug coming from inside the building was forcing her to stop.


Once she went inside, she found herself inside a museum.  The pull was getting stronger as she made her way up the stairs.  Following the curious feeling, it lead her into an Egyptian artifact exhibit.


She rounded a corner and came face to face with the figure that had been calling her.


It was nothing more than a statue of a male Egyptian Sphinx, she realized anticlimactically, yet she couldn't stop staring at it.

A faint sound began to fill the room, or perhaps it was only in her head.  It consisted of a whisper-like sound of sorts. It was impossible to make out the words, yet the feeling she got was that the voice was beckoning her to come to it.  To follow the voice.


"How?" she said out loud, "How do I follow you?"  When she realized she was standing in the middle of a museum talking to a modern day re-imagined creation of an ancient statue she couldn't help but laugh at herself.


Yet the feeling didn't go away.  That sense of being pulled, that voice begging her to find it.  It couldn't simply be shut off or ignored.  In a way it even brought her a kind of peace, a feeling of wholeness.  Purpose.


Flora broke away from the faint whisperings and made her way into the next room where several people were watching one of those boring historical movies that museums always seem to have.  It was currently explaining that while all the artifacts in this museum are cheap replicas, the originals still exist in their native homelands.


So these items still exist in their native homelands, she thought.  What is life trying to tell me?  That I need to go to Egypt and try and find this statue that seems for me to want to find it? That's ludicrous, her mind raced.


She left the museum more confused and exhausted than she had ever felt in her entire life.  She had just been spoken to by an inanimate object, that seemed to want her to go to the other side of the world to find its original. Welcome to Crazy Town, folks!

As she does every time she feels lost and confused, she went to her grandfather for help.  In this case, it was the attic.


"This is a really lousy monument, grandpa," Flora said apologetically to the urn sitting unceremoniously on the floor, "but I wish you were here to help me.  Am I going crazy?  This voice in my head won't stop!" she said, distraught.

When no reassurance came from the gilded urn, it was clear her grandfather was going to be of no help to her.  She was left to ponder this dilemma alone.


"CeeCee!" Flora squealed pulling her big brother into a hug as he came through the door, "Oh, I'm so glad you guys are here!" she said excitedly.  "Thanks for coming all this way, I know that Flora will be so happy to have family around for her birthday.  She's been feeling pretty alone here," she said, holding onto her brother tightly.


"Jett," Pete welcomed, shaking the elder man's hand, "it's so good to see you again.  How's retirement treating you?" he asked.


"Crappy," he replied, blunt as always, "guys on the force won't even let me carry my gun anymore.  Though I did keep all my shirts.  They can't have my shirts."


"How are you guys settling in?" Cecil asked, even though they both knew what he meant was 'How are you coping'.


Flora took a deep breath, she'd been going strong for so long now, it wouldn't do anyone any good to break down at her daughter's birthday party.

"It's been good," she replied, "getting the house set up has been quite a chore.  It's both bigger and smaller than our place before, if you can imagine that.  I can't wait to show you around!" she finished, leaving his true question unanswered.


Pete, on the other hand, still had trouble maintaining a simple conversation without drifting off, losing himself in thoughts of how much life had changed recently and how much he wished he could fix the problems his family were dealing with.


"How do you do it," Flora blurted out to her cousin, Leeann who was plucking away furiously at her laptop.

Barely looking up from the screen she replied, "do what?"

Flora tried to formulate the question she had been trying to ask without sounding like she was twelve years old.  "How do you know?  I mean, what makes you figure out what you want to do with your life?"


The younger girl paused a moment, thinking.

"It's a pull, I guess," she said casually, with a shrug of her shoulders.  "Something pulls at you, drives you to it.  Doing anything else other than what pulls you doesn't feel right," she finished, going back to her laptop.


Flora sat in quiet reflection.  If you had asked her two days before she would have thought nothing pulled at her.  Were things different now?  That little voice was getting louder.

The girls heard Faith calling from the other room, "Cake time!"

They were herded with the family out onto the back patio.


Once they were all gathered around the birthday girl, Flora stood with her eyes closed, silently making a wish.  It wasn't about making straight A's or wishing for a boy to ask her to Prom anymore.  This wish meant more than that.

This wish wasn't that of a little girl...


... but that of a woman.


Flora nibbled at her cake distractedly.  She was an adult now.  Life was completely open to her to do with what she wanted. An open book, so to speak.


"How about now?" Leeann asked her nonchalantly between bites.

Flora looked at her quizically.

"Are you feeling that pull a bit stronger now?" the quiet girl asked rhetorically.



A small smile played across Flora's face.

What was confusing a moment ago for a teenager to think about now made perfect sense to an adult.  In fact, she wasn't sure why she had been so scared of it to begin with. It was quite a simple thing actually.


She stood up from the table and cleared her throat.

"I have something I need to tell you all," she announced.





 Title Lemon Jelly


OUTTAKES
Morand is still missed by Cecil, Khalilah and a gnome as well. 
Awww...  Wrinkly old elderly love. 

Clearly this stylist needs to expand her palette.

33 comments:

  1. CHALLENGE NOTES:

    So, here we are in their new home, on Charlton Island! It was quite a move to get here, but so far things are working out pretty well. The lag is SOO much less than it was and will hopefully stay that way. I even tried to make it a bit more realistic by putting the furniture from their old house in. The couches in Flora's room are from Faith & Morand's bedroom.

    I really wish I could have included the shots of Cecil and Jett looking at the stars together, they did that totally autonomously, but I don't like having thought bubbles in my shots and by the time that one went away they immediately stood up. But it was so cute. This may be the last time we see them, as Cecil is well over 100 days now. =(

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  2. You moved to Charlton Island! I have looked lustily at the screenshots for that world several times. With the Pets CC overhaul, it looked like it would be work to set up, and my world move is going to truly absurd anyway. I'm delighted that I'll get to move there vicariously with the Cagleys.

    Post Flora's roll! Please! It sounds like it will involve World Adventures! Yay! Though man... talking artifacts? I assumed that the compulsion to go into the museum came from Drake...

    Your first outtake made me laugh out loud. I have actually taken to doing a bit of really primitive image editing (copying a nearby part of the image and pasting it over the offending stuff) to take out plumbobs and bits of thought bubbles when I can. Otherwise, you can never do a large room shot without accepting game artifacts.

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    1. Charlton is really very pretty! But it definitely small!! I didn't even place the Pets lots. So if I ever want horses at some point, I'll have to think about that...

      Flora's roll will go up with the next update, when Chapter 3 officially starts!! Haha, sorry to hold off on that. =)

      I usually use the "hideheadlineeffects" cheat, that hides the plumbob and speech bubbles, but hadn't done it when they were star-gazing. I highly suggest that cheat for those who don't want those things! =)

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    2. I had never heard of the hideheadlineeffects cheat! I'll check it out. Thanks!

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    3. BTW: I just looked again at your stylist outtake, and that is hilarious. What were the circumstances?

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    4. Yes, the hideheadlinecheat is GREAT! There are still some things it doesn't hide, like memory icons (if you still have memories enabled) and wish fulfillment icons. But I like it. =)

      The stylist thing was pretty funny, actually. I had sent Pete to sell off some of his inventions and in Charlton, the consignment store is also the salon/tattoo parlor. While I was waiting for him to get there, the blond woman and the brunette woman were making out, so I assumed they were a couple. The blond woman went and got styled (by the actual stylist guy) into the outfit in the picture. Then her partner got on the stand and the blond woman then styled HER into the same outfit. What was even better was the brunette obviously didn't like it, and got restyled into something completely different.

      "People watching" in the Sims is so fun!

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    5. Oh, man, the full story is way better than the outtake! That's fabulous.

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  3. Flora is stunning! She was already lovely as a teen, but I wasn't expecting her transformation to adult to add so much.

    I'm excited to see what adventures she gets up to. I understand holding off for announcing the rolls, I do the same thing. I've known Phoenix's since he was born, but I like leaving it as a surprise for the readers, I think it's more fun and gives you something to look forward to that way. :)

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    1. I was pretty surprised at Flora's look as well, she really "blossomed"! Haha At first I thought she had Faith's eyes, but now it seems like she has Faith's facial shape, but with Pete's eyes. I actually really like her!

      I have found when I'm reading other people's Random Legacies that don't like to know up front what the rolls are. Especially the Marital Status one, because if you know before hand that they're a single parent, then you have an idea of what's going to happen. =)

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  4. Okay wow, Flora is a lot more distinct from her mother now, and in my opinion so much more lovely. I can't even put my finger on what it is, but I love the way her face looks. And I am so super excited for her generation to take over!

    Cecil I've missed you! <3

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    1. I have to say, I'm pretty impressed with Flora. Having played her more than what's shown so far (obviously), she's really quite beautiful. I can't wait to get on with this generation as well! =)

      Those old coots are so cute!

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  5. Ack! Cliffhanger! Flora is a beautiful adult, though. And it's nice that she's gaining confidence in her independence.

    I love the new town and the new house. I think Faith and Pete will do well there, but it sounds like Flora might be doing some traveling... I love seeing the World Adventures stuff since I don't have that EP.

    I wondered if it might be Drake pulling her into the museum, too. I do hope that they at least get some closure in the future.

    Cecil and Jett are too cute. I'm going to miss them.

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    1. Just a little cliffhanger. At least you all got to see her age up and I didn't cut it right before then, like I usually do! haha

      There *may* be some adventuring ahead for Flora. =)

      Seems you all thought Drake was behind the museum thing, huh?

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    2. Eh I don't think it was Drake, really. But I do believe there will be some sort of vampire connection with the statue.

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  6. Ugh. Redhead why do you love cliff hangers so much? Lol. Jk. I'm very excited to see how everything unfolds in their new town. I can wait for Flora's announcement! Though I do have a few guesses at what it is. =]

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    1. Hehe, cliffhangers are so fun. Though not when they happen to me! So, I guess I feel your pain. =)

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    2. Cliffhangers are fine SO LONG AS YOU KEEP WRITING!

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  7. NO! You can't just stop there and not tell us what Flora wants... this will drive me nuts the next days. You are really mean :(
    Nevertheless the new town is absolutely beautiful and I can see how this might be a new start for the family. Although it looks like Flora is getting into danger again. The story about the ancient artifact was amazing and I can't wait to see how that turns out.
    Pleasepleaseplease give us a new chapter veeery soon! :)

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    1. Sorry, I don't mean to drive you nuts! haha Perhaps I'll be able to get the next update out a little early. I think I have the pictures for it all ready.

      Charlton Island is really nice. Armiel did a great job on it, the community lots are very sweet and detailed. Between the Cagley's and Colleen's McKinley legacy, you should be seeing a lot of it!

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  8. I too love Flora's look. She is gorgeous! Can't wait to see what her announcement and the rolls for her are.

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    1. Thanks Heaven! I was very pleasantly surprised by how she turned out! While I knew that Faith was pretty, so I was in fairly good hands, Pete must have added some extra kick to those good-looking genes! =)

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  9. Oooh, can't wait to find out what Flora's rolls are and what her announcement will be!

    And didn't she grow up gorgeous

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    1. Thanks Ali! I think she's rather pretty. Haha

      Can't wait to post the roll for all you curious folk! Though I'm sure some of it is fairly clear already. =)

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  10. Woah, so many comments. I agree, Flora is SEXYYYYYY.
    Also you moved into the house I used for the story contest its a awesome house yeah :P

    Can't believe you ended here though!
    My guess is she is telling everyone she is going travelling. Thats what I would do if I felt that pull. I wish I have even 1 pull damn it.

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    1. Yeah, haha, with the ability to reply to individual comments, they get kind of bloated now... But I like to be able to respond to people and answer questions! =)

      The house is really nice, I love how much space it has. Though it's kind of hard for storytelling, since the rooms are so small and oddly shaped, I think that's going to be a challenge!

      I agree on the pull. I'm still waiting for mine as well...

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  11. Lol a cliffhanger? Where? V in comparison with your last cliffhanger this is nothing!

    The new island looks great and I do love flora! You have some great hairstyles for her!

    As for that pull...sounds great to have that connection to whatever it is you plan to do with your future!

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    1. Yeah, no kidding, eh?? At least we know this cliffhanger won't be dangling out there for long. =) (Unlike last time.)

      It's been quite a challenge to have two blonde heirs back to back and try to make them look distinct from one another! Luckily, I can color code them with their favorite colors. haha

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  12. This is fantastic! I really enjoyed this. Flora is fantastic. I hope she gets to follow her dream.

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    1. I really loved it obviously...I said fantastic twice XD

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    2. Haha, thank you Amanda!! I always appreciate feedback!

      I'm hoping Flora's dreams come true as well. =)

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  13. Soooo happy you're back with the updates Red.

    I can't wait to read the story you have planned for Flora's generation. :D

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  14. Awww. Miss you, Redhead! Please let us out of our suspense!

    Plus the Sample!Cagleys are being amusing, so you should check it out :).

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