Saturday, April 27, 2013

Chapter 56: The Way of Things

  Alder stared at his new bus driver, discomfited.  Was this a test?


  He was strong enough to resist temptation, right?

 
   She was barely wearing any clothes, he was reforming himself, but he wasn't dead.  Yet.  If he went anywhere near his new bus driver Spring might kill him though.  He sighed heavily and looked away.  He curled his fingers and gripped the leopard print material tightly, then forced himself to relax.  He could do this.  Totally.  He could ignore the little signals she was sending him, the flirtatious glances in the mirror.  He could ignore the lack of clothes on her...body.  No, best not to think about her body and the lack of clothes. His eyes kept wandering though...

 

  He sighed again.  Who knew the straight and narrow would be so hard?  It was going to be a long ride to the Coliseum.



  "Uh, Mom!"  Ryder yelled.  "I need another phone!"

 

    "Why do you need another phone?"

  "Mine broke on my last dumpster dive."




  Spring sighed.  "Dare I ask why you are dumpster diving?"

  "Senior project, remember?  I can't graduate without having a successful blog.  I have 30 followers, can you believe that?  I actually like the blogging part, it's kind of addicting."

  "Talk to your Dad about it when he gets home."

  "Okay."



  Alyssa sighed happily.  She could dance all night, just like this, just her and Paeris, swaying to the soft tunes playing on the radio.  Who needed Prom?; but Paeris seemed to think that Alyssa would regret it if she didn't go.

 
  All too soon she heard the honk of the Limo, they pulled apart, and hand in hand they headed out to the Limo.

  Niall quickly kissed his Prom date before he lost his courage, he almost missed his Limo ride, but he and Fluffs got to the Limo just in time.

 

    Prom was perfect, Alyssa was glad she had gone.  She and Paeris had laughed, danced, giggled, started a Chicken Dance craze, and they had been crowned King and Queen of the Prom.  There was only one way to make this night epic.  Alyssa gripped Paeris' hand a little tighter as she carefully eased the front door open.  All was clear.  "Come on." she whispered.

  "Are you sure?" he whispered back.  Alyssa nodded.  She had been planning this night for ages, and she knew exactly what she was doing.  Paeris looked cautiously around.  "Where are they?"

  Alyssa shrugged.  "I don't care, once we're in my room, no one will come looking for us.  They'll be too busy wondering where Niall and Ryder are, they'll just assume I'm home.  And I will be."  She smiled at Paeris, and he smiled back.  She led him upstairs, and into her room, talking in hushed whispers and nervous giggles the whole way.

  They fumbled a bit with each other's clothes, then fell onto Alyssa's bed, the sweet little kisses turning into harder, more demanding kisses.  After making love several times during the night, in the wee hours of the morning, they finally fell asleep in each other's arms, and dreamed of their future.

  Paeris dreamed of all the children they would someday have, and Alyssa dreamed of getting a dishwasher.

 

   Alyssa woke with a start.  They had overslept, she jumped out of bed and threw her clothes on.  "Paeris, wake up.  We've got to get you out of here!"  He mumbled something and rolled over.  She shook him.  "Paeris, now!"  He blinked a few times, then blearily opened his eyes.  "Up, now!" she hissed.  The yelling downstairs was starting to get louder.

  Half asleep, he stumbled about, and pulled his clothes on.  "What's going on down there?"

  "Auntie Spring is upset that Ryder and Niall never came home last night.  Maybe we can..." she was interrupted by her bedroom door opening up.

  "Lyssa, the bus is here..."  Her dad's voice trailed off as he came into the room.

  Alyssa blushed.  "Uh, hi Daddy."

  Claudio's eyes narrowed.  "Alyssa, why is Paeris here so early in the morning?"

  "I can explain..." she said weakly.


  Claudio wanted to kill the boy.  He had even started for him, the boy's eyes had widened, but he hadn't run away, he had stayed where he was.  Either he was really stupid, or really brave, Claudio really hadn't care which, because as far as he was concerned, the boy was dead.  Claudio had ignored his daughter's pleas, he had ignored her crying and yelling, he had but one purpose in mind, until he felt his wife's hand on his shoulder.

  And now somehow he found himself at the Love Festival with his wife.  He did not know how she did it.  The boy was even still alive.




   "Stop scowling."  Lia told him.

  He turned to her.  "I should have killed him."

  "Nonsense." Lia declared.  "Your daughter would never have forgiven you.  They're young and in love."

  Claudio scowled even more.  "I loved you, and I would never have dreamed of..."

  Lia smiled at him.  "Never dreamed Monty?  What a whopper."

  "You know what I mean." he said grumpily.

  "Let me see your hand."

  "Why?" he asked suspiciously.

  "I've always wanted to try one of these love meters."




   Claudio groaned.  "Lia, those love meters are ridiculous.  I could tell you..."

  "Yeah, yeah, yeah, " she said.  "Monty, have I ever told you that you think too much?"

  "Once or twice." he mumbled.

  "Well, I am telling you again.  You think too much.  More action Monty, less talk, put your hand here."  She pointed to the handle sticking out of the machine.  He sighed, but did as she said.

 

  Lia watched the swirl of lights and colors eagerly, when the machine finally spit out the paper, she snatched it quickly.  "I knew it!" she crowed.

  Monty leaned over her shoulder to look at the paper.  "Knew what?"

 

 
   She grinned at him.  "We were meant to be."

  Monty smiled back at her.  "I didn't need a piece of paper to tell me that."

  "No, " she said, "you just needed me to tell you that.  And I'm telling you now Monty, Alyssa and Paeris are meant to be, so you'd best get used to it."  Lia wrinkled her nose.  "Though we shall have a talk about safe sex and babies with them.  As much as I would love a grandchild, Alyssa needs to finish school first."

  Claudio stared at her.  "What?!"

  Lia patted his cheek.  "You know I'm right.  So, killing the boy is off the list."




  "What about intimidating the boy?"

  Lia smiled.  "Now you're talking."


  Alder had been watching the girl in the kissing booth for a little while now.  She looked so bored.  A guy would come up to her, hand her a buck, he would get a peck on the lips and then walk away.  What kind of kiss was that?

  Alder had decided to go to the Love Festival without Spring.  She was being unreasonable anyway.  Boys would be boys, he had told her.  She had not liked his answer.  He rolled his eyes.  Women.  As far as he was concerned, everything was fine.  No police had shown up at his doorstep, and when they came home from school, then he'd ask them where they had been.  No harm, no foul. 

 But this kissing booth girl, she really needed some kissing lessons.  She was never going to make much for the Orphaned Penguins fund at the rate she was going.  He glanced over at his sister and Monty to see if they were watching, but they were preoccupied with each other, as usual.  He shrugged.  It was only a kiss after all, and it was for a worthy cause.  Poor little orphaned penguins, Spring couldn't be mad at him for helping out such a worthy cause.

  He pulled out his dollar, and waved it in front of her face.  She didn't even look at him.  "How many kisses do I get for a dollar."

  "One." She said in a bored tone.

  He lifted her chin to make her look up.  "Hmmm, I'd better make it count then."

 

  "Ccc-count?" she stuttered.

  Alder nodded.  "Yes, I do believe those penguins are counting on me."  He slowly pulled her closer, her eyes fluttered closed and her lips parted.

 

  He gently cupped her face, and then kissed her very throughly.

 

    The girl melted against him and moaned softly.

 

    Alder pulled away.  "Now that is how you kiss someone." he whispered.  At one time he would have asked for her phone number, and arranged to meet her later.  There were all kinds of things he could teach her, kissing the least of it.  Instead he just smiled at her, and she smiled back dreamily at him.

 

  Alder heard his name being called, and he turned around to see his grandfather, Kit.  Alder waved, and then flew quickly over to him.

 

  "Gramps!"  Alder hugged Kit.

  "Hello you scalawag."  Kit said with a slight smile.  "Are you kissing the girls and making them cry again?"

  "Me?"  Alder asked with mock innocence.  "No way, didn't you hear Gramps?  I'm a changed guy.  I was simply doing my duty for those poor little orphaned penguins."

  Kit chuckled.  "Indeed?"

  Alder smiled mischievously.  "Absolutely."





  Kit laughed as he shook his head.  "From the tales your Dad has told me, I think he has found your escapades quite amusing.  Your mother on the other hand..."

  Alder groaned.  "She drives me crazy."

  "Elly hasn't changed much since your Dad first introduced her to me, babies and marriage have always been really important to her."  Kit was quiet for a moment.  "She has a good heart though, and she's been good for your Dad, she's made him very happy."  Kit sighed as he briefly reflected on his short unhappy marriage to Mina.  They had simply needed different things in life.  Kit looked at his grandson, and smiled.  Life was good though, he may have struck out in the love and marriage department, but he hit the jackpot when it came to grandkids, and even great grandkids.  "How are those kids of yours?"

  "The kids are doing great Gramps.  Ryder and Niall are doing well in school, and with the way they keep growing, they are costing me a fortune in shoes!  The triplets have already graduated, and with honors!"  Alder boasted, he knew the genius genes came from his side of the family.

 

  "Graduated already?"  Kit shook his head.  "Time sure passes by quickly, it seems like just yesterday I was changing your Dad's diapers, and now I have great grandchildren that have graduated from highschool, I'm getting old."  Kit said ruefully.

  Alder disagreed.  "You're not old Gramps."

  Kit smiled.  "My body says otherwise.   I can feel it in my bones, I don't have much longer here in this world.  Now, don't give me that look Alder, it is the way of things, even for those of you that carry fae blood in your veins.  I have lived a good life, and had my fair share of adventures."

  Alder's eyes lit up.  He loved hearing his grandfather's tales of Camulodunum, and the battles that had been fought.  His favorite ones involved his father, since his father was reluctant to talk of those days, as if he feared his kids would run out and do the same crazy stuff he had done as a teenager.  Alder would rather hold a guitar than a sword though, he left that sort of stuff up to his older brothers.  "Like the time that Dad ran off to Bridgeport, and you had to follow after him?"

  "Exactly!"  Kit spun his tale, all the more fascinating to Alder, because it was a true tale, and not a tall one.

 

  After Kit had finished telling his tale to his rapt audience, he paused for a moment, then said, "I have something for you."  He reached into his vest and pulled out a book.  "I grabbed this today, not knowing why, but now I know why.  I think you are meant to have it, to pass it down, and make sure it always stays in our family.  Guard it well, Alder."

  Alder's eyes widened in surprise.  "Is this, is this, THE book?"

  "That is the very book that my father made for me, because he knew he wouldn't be around to train me."  Kit confirmed.

  "Shouldn't Puck have it?  I think he'd be a much better choice than me, I don't have any of the powers that Dad has, or even Puck for that matter.  I'm just half-fae, more human than fae even."

  Kit shook his head no.  "No, Puck has no need of it, but someday, someday the family may just need the knowledge this book contains.  And never you fear about powers Alder, when they are needed, they will be given.  You had no need of them, and neither do your kids, but, who knows what the future holds."  Kit held the book out, and Alder carefully took it from him.

  "Gramps, I don't know what to say." 

  Kit patted him on the shoulder.  "I think we should get our picture taken.  You, me, Claudio, and your sister that has been dragging Claudio around to all the booths, I bet he could use a break."

  Alder rolled his eyes.  "She's trying to keep him from thinking about Alyssa and Paeris."  Kit quirked an eyebrow, so Alder explained what had happened earlier in the day.

  Kit found it as amusing as Alder did.

 

  "You should have seen it Gramps, it was the funniest thing I ever saw, I tried to tell them they should keep a closer eye on those two.  But no, what do I know?  No one wanted to listen to me, Alyssa wouldn't do that they said.  They keep thinking she is exactly like her mother, but she isn't.  I really believe they broke the mold when Lia was made, and thank heavens for that!  One Lia is more than enough!  No, I could tell that Alyssa is in love, and I, more than any of them, know what girls will do when they are in love.  Paeris is a good kid though, I expect they'll marry right out of highschool and have a passel of kids."

  Kit nodded his head thoughtfully.  "I am well acquainted with his family, yes, and I have even met Alyssa's young man, I agree with you.  They are well matched."

  Alder waved his arm, "Hey Lia!  Gramps wants to do a picture!" 

 

    Lia frowned at the picture.  "Alder, you are such a ham."

  Alder looked over her shoulder at the picture.  "What are you talking about?  I think it's a very nice picture."

  She pointed at his image on the picture.  "Look at you!  Standing in front of everyone!"

  Alder started to argue back, but suddenly he felt a cool breeze pick up, and whirl around, and then he knew.  He turned around, and to his horror he could see that he was right.  "Gramps!" he called out, his throat clogged up.  "Gramps!  You can't leave yet!"




   Kit smiled warmly at his family as they gathered closer.  He couldn't speak any words, but he looked at Alder and mouthed the words, "Remember."

  "Gramps!"  Alder reached out in an attempt to keep his grandfather with him, but his hands simply went through him.

 

  Alder felt the tears run down his cheeks, and mingle with the rain that fell from the skies; even the heavens wept with him.  "I'm going to miss you."

  With a small little wave, Kit turned and faced the black garbed figure.

 

    With a wave of Death's scythe, Kit disappeared, and in his place a large tombstone was gently placed in his honor.

 

  Miles away, Reilly stopped in his tracks.  "Dad..."

 

  Alder stayed on the Festival grounds, long after the Festival had closed.  He simply couldn't believe that one moment Gramps had been full of life, and the next moment, he was gone.   He had stared unseeing, for hours, and was only startled out of his thoughts by his father's hand on his shoulder.  "Alder, come with me."

  Alder didn't question his Dad, but followed him obediently.  They crossed the street, and in the dark stillness, Alder could see his Dad's hands glowing.  He looked questioningly at his father.  "One last little show, in honor of Dad."  Reilly murmured.  He rarely used his powers any more, but he knew his Dad would have appreciated this.  "Look Alder, up there."  Reilly pointed to the night sky.  Alder looked where his father had pointed.

 

  Alder stared in awe, the night sky was alive with color.  The stars sparkled extra bright while purple ribbons of light chased blues and greens in a kaleidescope of dance.
  "Good bye Dad."  Reilly said softly.


  Alyssa wasn't sure what to feel.  On one hand, she was sad that her great grandfather had died, but on the other hand, she was grateful that with his death, nothing further had been said about her and Paeris.  The household was too wrapped up in grief.  She even thought she had been lucky, but lately, she hadn't been feeling too lucky.  In fact, she had been feeling a bit nauseous, she could only hope it was grief manifesting itself, rather than what she feared.

  Alder was in a funk, and having a hard time climbing out of it, so when his manager called with an opportunity to take his band and tour Egypt and France, he took it, dragging Ryder along with him.  Ryder didn't mind too much, he loved traveling with his Dad, they had a lot of fun together.

  When Alder wasn't performing, they played hacky sack in the middle of the streets in Egypt.

 

  They danced to Egyptian music.  Well, his Dad danced, while Ryder laughed at him.  Ryder threatened to take video and pictures and blog about it, but Alder threatened to feed him to a crocodile if he did.

 

   Ryder wanted to camp outside, under the stars, his Dad was a bit dubious about it, but in the end, he let Ryder have his way.

 

  In France, they stopped by to see his little brother, but found out that they were on vacation in China.  With nothing else planned, Alder decided to explore the old Landgraab Chateau.

  Ryder looked it up on his phone.  "Dad, that place is walking death trap.  No way am I going in there."

  "Nonsense."  Alder said firmly.  "It's culture and history, you'll learn a lot."

  Ryder snorted.  "I already know a lot by searching the world wide web, you should try it before you kill yourself.  Old Landgraab was a suspicious, paranoid fellow, and he left booby traps all over that house.  They make you sign a waver Dad, that if you accidentally trigger a trap that they didn't know about, your family can't sue them for your death.  Death Dad, and you are not listening to me."

  "Your talking nonsense, why would I listen to you?  Now are you coming with me?"

  "No, I'm staying here, I'll text Mom and we'll start planning your funeral."

  "Thanks for the vote of confidence!"

 




  Alder vowed next time he would look it up on the world wide web, like his son had suggested.  Ryder didn't say the words I told you so, but Alder could see them in his son's smirk.  "If you blog this, I'm feeding you to the crocodiles." he warned his son.

  "You left the crocodiles in Egypt Dad."



  Claudio didn't want a big fuss about his birthday, he didn't like parties or crowds of people, even if they were all relatives.  Maybe because they were ALL relatives.

  
  Spring was alone for her birthday as well, but she didn't mind.  Alder said when he got back home, he would have a new house built for her.  Just for her.  The last couple of houses had been built with Lia in mind, because Lia had the strongest opinions on anything.  Lia had decided though that after Alyssa graduated, she and Monty would travel to her mother's homeland.  It was spur of the moment, but, Spring reflected, that was how Lia was.

 

     Niall had plans to move in with his girlfriend, Alyssa planned to move out and marry Paeris, with Monty and Lia off traveling, that would leave just her, Alder, and Ryder.  The house would be so peaceful, Spring was really looking forward to the peaceful.  Alder had even gone one step further, and promised her he would hire a maid, so she wouldn't have to clean up after two guys.

  Spring smiled happily.  She'd had her doubts at first, but he made a pretty good husband.  Alder had left the details of how they got married up to her, and she had thought briefly about having a grand wedding and inviting all the women in town.  In the end, she decided to just keep it him, and her.  She also hadn't wanted him to get cold feet, and leave her at the altar.

  All in all, she was quite pleased with her life.

____________________________________________________________

  Notes: Next chapter Gen 6 will be in charge---I'm happy to be done with opportunities.  Traveling seems to magnify game glitches, lol  A lot of Alder's opportunities involved traveling, for a career opportunity he had to find some music sheets or something at the Landgraab Chateau library.  It has been so long since I actually played with the adventure part of WA, I sort of forgot about a few of the traps, lol  Poor Alder.  He was so happy to get out of that house!!  He also likes to smustle, just like his Great-great grandpa Kona.

  I was so sad about Kit.  I thought it was neat he had shown up at the Festival, and I had Alder go and talk to him, then I thought I should get a family pic.  The game was freezing up so bad it was annoying.  After I got the pic w Monty, Lia, Alder and Kit, I thought wouldn't it be neat to get Ryder, Niall, Alyssa, and Reilly in the pic with them.  I had to wait for after school for the teens, Reilly kept freezing for whatever reason--so I kept having Alder call him, and then boom!  Kit died on me!  I was not expecting that!  Reilly shows up after it's all over, but hey, why waste a picture opportunity?  So I had Alder talk to him.  I had just recently installed a lighting mod that made the Aurora Borealis available to any world---and there it was, first time I had seen it outside of Aurora Skies.  I thought it was quite appropriate.

  Good Bye Kit---I'm gonna miss ya!




  And the book is still around.  Just in case, lol

  Alder is a great kisser.  I thought it would be cute to get a pic of a little kiss---but she kissed him so quickly I couldn't get a pic of it, and I was thinking, darn it, now I have to have him do it again so I get a pic.  Instead---He goes all out and kisses her, lol  Good thing Spring was at home! =)

  My plan is---move Lia and Monty out.  Lia is still a young adult, but Monty is half way through his adult stage.  I cannot watch him die, I am too attached to him, lol  Alder of course, is still a young adult, and Spring is half way through her adult stage, but while I like Spring, I am not as attached to her as I am to Monty.  I also, shortly after Ryder aged up (which will be shown next chapter) portered all of my sims to a new copy of the same town they were in.  I forgot to save the house they had, and I was too lazy to bother opening up that save, so I just built them another house.  I like it better than the one I built before anyway, lol

  One final note---Alyssa and Paeris were naughty, lol  I had just portered all of my sims and fixed all the relationships, got the housing all set up, but forgot to check my Woohooer settings. 

 
 

8 comments:

  1. Alder looked so unhappy sitting there resisting temptation, lol. C'mon Alder, you can do it!

    Gosh, hard to believe Alyssa is so grown up already :-/ Can't blame Claudio's reaction much, but I love how he was 'suddenly' at the Love Festival with Lia, lol.

    Oh I couldn't bear to see Claudio get old and die either.

    Fare thee well, Kit <3

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    1. Didn't he? Poor Alder, he's sucking it up though, lol

      My toddler/child age lengths are somewhat short, so in all of my chapters, the kids grow up fairly fast, lol They are teens for like 30 days or something, though. And yes, Lia bundled him up and got him away from the house pretty quickly! :P

      I don't want to see Monty get old. =( I'll probably save him and put him in another neighborhood and give him eternal life, lol =)

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  2. Bless Alder for resisting temptation so well :) I loved Claudio's reaction to Alyssa and Paeris and Lia's response to it was excellent.

    Bye bye Kit :(

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    1. Alyssa is Claudio's little girl, there is no way he would just turn a blind eye to it, but I couldn't let him kill Paeris either, lol I like Paeris. =) So Lia stepped in.

      I was pretty crushed when Kit died, and I still have to remind myself---he's not real, lol He's a character of my imagination melded into a pixel body---I still teared up a bit while writing that little scene.

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  3. Aw Kit! Have a good rest!

    Alder staring at the bus driver made me Laugh! Bless him. It's so sweet how he's trying at least. Good for him. lol

    I'mma miss Monty! He's so much fun to read about. And Lia too. Love Lia. But yay for a new generation! And good for Lia to get Monty to restrain himself from killing Paeris. But Alyssa would never have forgiven him and that wouldn't have been good. He doesn't want to be like his parents.

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    1. It still makes me a bit sad thinking about Kit.

      Alder loves Spring, so he is trying, lol But it isn't a cakewalk for him, he's been one way for a long time, and now he's trying to change for the better. =)

      Gen 5 was so much fun to play and write about! They won't be gone, gone, Lia and Monty will stop pop up occasionally. I had in mind for Monty and Lia to leave when he hit middle of his adult years, one, so I wouldn't see him die (I hope!) and two, I didn't want the game to get too cheaty. Fairies live a really, really, really long time, lol They are as bad as vamps.

      And yes---Monty doesn't want to be anything like his family. If he had hurt Paeris, that would have caused a rift between him and Alyssa, and that wouldn't have been good. He just needs to wrap his head around the fact that he's going to be a grandpa, lol And Lia as a grandma--she'll give Elly a run for her money! :P

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  4. I just love Alder, everything abput him. Really, lol. The bus driver, the kissing booth girl, all his thoughts through the whole chapter.

    Alyssa and Paeris are adorable. I'm glad Monty didn't kill him! I loved that scene as well, with Claudio and Lia at the festival.

    It was so sad to see Kit go. =(

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  5. Oh my goodness. Alder is hysterical. I'm glad Paeris made it out unscathed. Sad about Kit. :(

    Seems like it's going to be a relatively small house for a little while. After all the chaos from the past couple of generations...it's going to be interesting.

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