Some Sims of Ice and Fire (Move to Graveyard)

[mackendall2]

I am enjoying your story!  He is adorable.

[Pam]

Very nice, Tilia!  I really like your writing.  I think I'll feature your story on our Facebook page. 

[Tilia]

Rickard is such a handful!  I am working with him to get him talking and he learns really fast.



Meanwhile, Dion has been working with him on the walking.  He's such a good Daddy.



Every time I pick up little Rickard, it strikes me how similar they look.



Meanwhile, Rhaella has admitted to me that she has a huge crush on her boss.  She invites him over for dinner pretty constantly.



Now, this is an issue for a few reason.  Firstly, he's her boss.  I guess that part isn't overly surprising since she is a schmoozer and her default mode at work is to spend as much time with her boss as possible.

Secondly, the man has a girlfriend.  Rhaella is sure this is a temporary roadblock.



Third, and perhaps most importantly, he's a freaking vampire!  It makes me nervous having him around with Rickard being so young and vulnerable!  Rhaella says I'm being a human supremacist. 



He has made strides to win us over though.  He found Mom's grave and returned it to us so we can keep it here.  She visited us almost immediately.



And for all the being a dangerous predator in a relationship, he does treat my sister very lovingly.



He even showed up for our family birthday party for Rickard, who aged up into an ambitious evil genius.





I may be biased, but my son appears to be the most attractive member this family has had yet!

[Tilia]

Thanks for the kind words!  I'd love to be featured!

[Tilia]

Rhaella finally got her boss to break up with his girlfriend and commit to her.  I want to scold her, but she seems so happy.



My son, I'm pleased to report, is more often a genius than evil.  He loves to curl up in his new bedroom and read.



I even caught him battling his evil side one day while Ly was playing a particularly moving aria.  Later he told me he didn't like the "feels" it gave him.  I think that's adorable.



He told us that he'd spotted something odd in the park today.  As he described what he saw, I realized in horror what Rhaella had done in an effort to be with this man she loves so much.



I didn't know if the part about red smoke and bats was an exaggeration or if Rhaella really did just sell off her mortality.



She seemed normal for just long enough for me to assume it was a false alarm.  Rhaella loves playing in the sprinklers after we weed the garden and suddenly she seemed to find it uncomfortable.  She'd feel awful if she was outside for too long during daylight hours.



Dion confessed to me that he got a creepy feeling that she was watching the men in the house with a slightly predatory hunger.



I decided I needed to talk to her, but when I sneaked up to her room one night, ready to find out exactly what was going on, I realized I was too late.  My little sister is a vampire now.

[Tilia]

I suppose not much has changed, aside from Rhaella's eating habits and her new ability to read minds at night.  Ly and I are pretty freaked out by it, but Rickard absolutely loves the intrigue of it all.  The two of them spend quite a lot of time together.



She is still in the military and absolutely dominating her career progression.  She's a flight officer now and quite in love with Jeremy - her "maker" and her fiance.



This is still happening on the regular:




I've given up on selling them and just named them for now.  They give everyone the "hunted" creeps, but they're clearly not going away.  Rhaella insists she can't be blamed for our gnome infestation because she didn't turn until afterward, but I still feel a little accusatory every time I see her eating one of those creepy plasma fruits.



Rhaella isn't the only thing that's changed though.  We gave the front yard a major makeover, including digging a little pond and stocking it with fish so everyone can practice their angling.



And I had a bit of a midlife crisis when I hit real, actual adulthood, so I cut my hair and dyed it bright red.  Judge away, but I quite like it.



Dion has been climbing the ranks at his ghostbusting job.  He ended up celebrating his latest birthday (all the way to elder!  how did THAT happen to my former prom date?) while getting rid of a ghost in a pregnant woman's house.




She was so alarmed by all the goings on, that she went into labor, which in turn caused my husband to also freak out.



And last but certainly not least, Rickard aged up to a teenager.  He wrapped up his boyhood by collecting an array of badges in Scouts.



And making a few friends and throwing a final slumber party.  As you can see, Rickard isn't the only child in town with an evil streak.



The little blonde girl there is Terri Ivanov.  She looks quite a lot like her Ivanov relatives, if you ask me.  Rickard is very fond of her, so I can't help but have a bit of an assumption that she may be part of the family one day.



When she arrived at his teen birthday party the next day, she'd already aged up to a teen herself.  When Rickard saw that, he couldn't wait to do his Sparkles.



And my goodness.  It may just be a mother's bias, but he's a stunner!  Especially with Dion's gorgeous blue eyes.  I certainly hope Miss Ivanov is good enough!  He acquired the adventurous trait.  Aside from his inherent evil-ness, he's had great luck with his trait rolls.



Oh, I almost forgot!  Our Elia finished her education at Smugglesworth Prep.  She returned a bit of a snob, but also incredibly smart and charismatic. 



She has inherited her Aunt Rhaella's insanity and often sits on the toilet in the middle of the night, wearing a ballgown, and staring at nothing.  (Rhaella was 'cured' of her insanity while at Dribbledane and is quite well adjusted now).  She has decided to go into politics.  We think she'll do exceedingly well.  She is staying in the house with us until she feels financially well off enough to head out on her own.

[Tilia]

It didn't surprise me when my mother told me I'd one day inherit this family and the legacy that went along with it.  I've read my grandmother's journals and I've seen books on our ancestry.  I think I'm up to the challenge.

The one drawback is that I'll never get the chance to be like my Aunt Rhaella.  She's a vampire.



I honestly think she may be the perfect woman.  It is a shame she is my aunt.  I think that due to my admiration of her, I will always be drawn to pale, blonde women.  In fact, take a look at my girlfriend, Terri.



Obviously, my mother doesn't know any of this.  She is an innocent soul and likes to believe my evil trait isn't real.  It's sweet, and though I'm evil, I'm not cold.  So I allow her to continue believing it.  My mother is also an incredible woman.



She invents on the upper floor of our home.  When an invention gnome showed up one night, she was so amused that the vampiric gnomes had competition that she immediately gave it a place of honor on her workbench.  She is at the top of her career at the science facility, and very impressive.

My Aunt Lyanna (or, let's be honest, the unattractive one) is also a talent.  She plays piano and makes ridiculous ice sculptures.  This one is a personal favorite of mine



My father hunts ghosts and my uncle writes novels.  None of that is particularly impressive, especially as the ghost hunting seems entirely made up. 

I've never had the opportunity to corner the ghost of my grandmother during one of her visits and ask her about our history.  I do wonder if she had the insane trait or if her time travel accounts are real.  I would really love to know.  However, when she shows up, she's always scolding Rhaella about becoming a vampire.



My crazy cousin Elia has a married boyfriend.  I hope this means she'll be moving out soon as she is fairly useless and distracts from the Watcher's attention on the important Sims in this family because she is crazy and does crazy things.



My life has low stakes at this stage.  I know i want to travel and I know I want to perfect my logic.  I am enrolled in debate and sports clubs at school.  I have a beautiful girlfriend and a couple of evil friends that helped me rig the voting boxes so we would definitely be prom royalty.  Terri was so pleased, thinking it was sincere.



After prom, I stayed back and flooded the school.  No reason.  Just wanted to see if I could.

[Tilia]

I can't say I'm much a fan of my cousin Elia.  I find it distasteful the way she spends so much obvious romantic time with that married man.



Sure, I have my own qualms with morality.  After all, my lifetime wish is to be the Emperor of Evil.  But really, Elia.  You are tarnishing the family name.  I may or may not have slipped her a fertility treatment to teach her a lesson.  I had a notion it may have worked this morning on my way to school.



Either way, I've decided she's out of the house as soon as I'm a young adult.  This is my family and her crazy brain and poor judgement won't do.  Her parents will likely move with her, which is a shame, as I've grown quite fond of my homely aunt.  Lyanna sculpted my mother another gnome and bought Rhaella a nice camera from the consignment shop recently.  She is the only member of the trio who will be missed.



This gnome is likely my favorite.  Since his arrival, we have sculptures magically finish themselves while the house is asleep.  Rhaella has decided to learn sculpting in her spare time, so this will come in very handy after Lyanna has been relocated.



I admit I got a bit of fiendish delight when I heard Elia raging at her own reflection over her unplanned pregnancy.



It serves her right!  Honestly, I'm not even sure that the married man is the father.  She enjoys carrying on with our butler too.  I caught her yesterday soliciting a massage from him.  After I instructed her to have some dignity, I'm sure I heard her criticizing me to the help!  She has some nerve.  I cannot wait to remove her.



Sometimes I see her staring at the portraits in the hall of Mother and Grandmother.  She will never be on par with them and should stop attempting to be.



Ah well.  I finally aged up.  We had a little family celebration.



I decided that Elia may stay with us until her spawn is at least born.  It seemed the charitable thing and it pleased Mother.  Here I am as a young adult.



I graduated valedictorian of my class, naturally.  I also cinched the presidency of the debate club prior to graduation and have a nice decorative gavel for my bedroom.



The night of graduation, Elia's baby came.



Her name is Lysa and she is perceptive and loves the outdoors.  I'm surprised her traits rolled so well, considering her questionable parentage.



While the two were on their way back to the house from the hospital, Grim came for Father.  Mom has no explanation for how her husband somehow jumped an entire life phase ahead of her, but he shall be missed.  I didn't even cackle at his death like I did that day in the park when Mrs. McNamera died.



If it's any consolation to the old man, I imagine ghost hunting will be a much easier job on the other side.

[Tilia]

Nooboo Lysa aged up into a sweet-faced toddler.  I hope for her sake that she hasn't inherited too much of her mother.  Based on those eyes, I'd say she belongs either to the married guy or my father steered away from his marriage in his final days.



They moved into a trailer park my grandfather evidently inherited from the Broke family.  It's been vacant for some time.  Aunt Lyanna, ever the optimist, seems hopeful that they can make it livable.  I shan't be visiting.



The survival of this legacy is down to me.  Me and whomever I choose to be my partner.  Speaking of which, will you get a load of how beautifully my girlfriend aged up?



I took her out to dinner the very day after my birthday to propose.  Of course, she said yes.  The best part of the whole thing was her reaction to the size of the diamond I was able to buy after selling off a lot of possessions left behind by my recent evictees. 



The family was delighted.  Mom celebrated by shooting a vampire gnome with some crazy ray gun.



Rhaella pulled me aside and told me we'd have the bachelor party post haste.  She installed some black lights in the house that made us all glow like she does.  And for the thousandth time, I rolled a wish to become a vampire.  It can't happen though.  More's the pity.



Rhaella seemed to have some mystery up her sleeve, and kept deviously looking off if I asked her what was going on.



My best friend Milo gave a toast, to which I responded by spraying him with nectar.  But then the real fun started.



I was looking around for a towel for Milo when a couple of impossibly hot looking cops showed up.



And started dancing!



It was an incredible party.  Rhaella said she knew it was a success when she realized before trying to find a place to pass out that she had to be at work in an hour!  Thank the Watcher for our motive mobile.  Rhaella seemed to enjoy the party too, if her fiance's stride-of-pride is any indication of what she got up to.



In my bathroom too!  tsk tsk, auntie.

After all that craziness, Terri and I decided to marry in private at the park.  We said our vows in a flurry of butterflies.  It was all very picturesque.



Terry moved in.  Her traits and such were revealed to us.  It turns out she's an absent-minded loser with commitment issues.  We'll start saving up for that SWAP right away.  Her lifetime wish is to be a Renaissance Sim, so I sent her to a painting class and had her register with city hall as a painter.  She has a savvy sculptor trait, which will help some, but I have a feeling it will be a long road. 

I also caught that she has another romantic interest on her roster.  I haven't decided whether or not to kill him, but it is consolation knowing that the spoils are mine.



I want to get started on our family immediately.  Especially as Mother is getting older.



Something tells me it will be a enjoyable task.

[Tilia]

In my opinion, Mother was always far too frugal.  I admire her for doing her own inventing and gardening and such, but the house was in serious need of a facelift.  Behold our expanded property.



So far, only the ground floor has been expanded.  I've demolished the original children's rooms and used the space for a common area and a proper separated kitchen.  I've added a second art studio to keep Rhaella and Terri from fighting over the sculpting station and easels and also provide room for new and expanded hobbies.



And of course there's the pool.  We have a bit of a family competition running to see who can master diving the quickest.  Mother is retired, so she has an advantage.



It heartens me to see her with so much vigor in her age.  I worry about losing her.  Uncle Landon recently died, so I imagine her sister Lyanna is not far behind.  At least Aunt Rhaella will be a young adult into my elder years and I will not lose her. 

I was able to give my Mother something she dearly wanted recently.



She's thrilled.  Terri was pretty uncomfortable with the pregnancy.



Rhaella painted my portrait to add to the legacy paintings.  I love being there, but I may move the portraits down to the new studio where they look less crowded.



I also bought a motorcycle to assist with my thug image.  Sounds crazy, but I swear my job improvement sped up after I started riding it.



In an act of goodwill, and to help with Terri's vampire-phobia, Rhaella bought a teleportation pad and upgraded it for accuracy, then purchased a very fancy spa package to help Terri with her discomfort.



Unfortunately, Terri's pregnancy wouldn't even cooperate with a nice spa retreat.  She went into labor right in the middle of it, and hobbled outside, assisted by a well-meaning but fairly useless military boy.  He eventually drove her to the hospital and shakily called me at work.



I had hoped for a boy, but was even more pleased with what Terri produced.  Twin girls.  Beautiful twin girls.  I have named them Cersei



And Catelyn.



Darned if those nooboos don't melt my evil heart just a little bit.

[Tilia]

(Watcher's note:  I had nothing at all to do with the coloring on the girls.  I was delighted when they aged up resembling their namesakes.)

My nooboos had a delightful toddlerhood.  I know that we aren't ever meant to pick favorites, but the ladies in the house clearly have their preferences.  I am personally enchanted by both of them.

Cersei aged up as golden and giggly as her mother.  She is disciplined and loves the outdoors.



Catelyn was quite the surprise!  The best I can figure is that she inherited great-great aunt Ruby's coloring on the Broke side.



Terri mentioned in an off-handed way that maybe she inherited it from my mother's midlife crisis.  That was the moment I decided it was time for her SWAP.  Genes don't work that way.  She's now artistic, eccentric, and family oriented.  She's already mastered sculpting, which makes me rather proud.



Mom is completely enamored with Cersei.  She spends all of her spare time in the nursery teaching her skills.




Rhaella on the other hand, seems to have fallen head over vampiric heels for our Catelyn.  I'd never considered her a maternal woman, but they are charming together.




Terri and I try to remain impartial.  I am unsure who my heir will be, but who can tell these things at toddler years.  We threw a party for the girls for their child birthdays.  (Looks like this was before Landon died.  Woops.)



Little Lysa came.  She seems to be doing well enough.  Mercifully Elia was not in attendance.



Mom, ever glued to Cersei, carried her to the cake.



While Rhaella did the same for Catelyn. 



Then there was cake all around.  Here are our girls grown fully into children!

[Tilia]

The studio has been a roaring success.  Rhaella is working to create ice sculptures that don't melt.



Someone has finally taken to using the pond dug out front.  Check out Cersei's first big fish!



She's not the only one hunting and gathering.  I had been under the impression that Aunt Rhaella lived completely off of plasma fruit and juice.  Buuut then I caught her hunting the housekeeper and later feeding off of her in private.



I have to admit, it only grows my respect for her.

Cersei acquired the workaholic trait when she aged up, whereas Catelyn got party animal.  So, the one who initiates homework is always our blonde angel.



And the one who organizes (and wins) hopscotch tournaments in the nursery is the devilish redhead.



I can't help kicking over the sand castles the girls build outside, so I had to build them a treehouse to repent.  They still build them.  I still autonomously kick them over.  It's a system we have going.



The girls seem to love the treehouse, though.  They play princess in the castle.



I've enrolled them in ballet.  The old bonds between my family and the girls remains the same.




And, my Terri is expecting again!  I immediately rolled the wish for a girl, but since the boy wish is still in my roster, I should be collecting some points soon one way or another.

[Tilia]

It has occurred to me that we may have a bit of a problem with hauntings at the house.  I've purchased several venues around town and am wondering if one of them would make a decent private cemetery.  In the meantime, Catelyn reacts very well to having her bed levitated while she's trying to sleep on it.



Rhealla, however, seems to love when they show up.  I guess they are her parents.



Mother is building a time machine.  I'm not sure if she's gone senile or if she's a genius.



The girls had a ballet recital and we got a nice photo of them in their cute costumes to hang in the small studio.



Catelyn constantly has to be woken up early to do her homework, since she gets distracted after school.  But she does it.  Both of the girls are on honor roll.



And Terri went into labor at the sculpting table. 



It's a boy!

This is Brynden

[Tilia]

I am so pleased with how well Terri is taking to her new family oriented trait.  She is amazing with little Brynden.



She's wonderful with the girls as well.  She often reads them both to sleep.



When she can't make it, Rhaella is always happy to play surrogate mom to her Catelyn, her pet great-niece.



Catelyn seems to be aware of how much I enjoy knocking over her castles.  I think at this point she's making castles so I can knock them over.  I appreciate that level of thoughtfulness from my daughter.



Mom evidently finished the time machine and has now traveled into the future.



She brought back bubble bath and a picnic basket.  Guess the future isn't all that advanced.  Next she tried the past.  She advised us to never go there, but won't tell us what she was running from.



On the night before the girls' teen birthday, right after Brynden aged up to another fire-headed toddler, Catelyn threw a child-packed slumber party.



She ordered a pizza and forgot about it, so Cersei handled paying for it and serving it to the guests while Catelyn rocked out with the other kids.



Brynden stayed upstairs with his blocks while the kids went nuts and I earned a promotion to henchmen at work.



The next morning, the girls blew out the candles and aged up into absurdly beautiful teenagers.  Catelyn even took on the flirt trait to go with her brave, perceptive, party animal self.  I'm expecting her to be all manner of trouble.  So proud.

Speaking of genes, I'm not sure where Cersei's honey brown eyes came from.  Terri's are a dark, deep black color, like Brynden's.  They are lovely all the same.

[Tilia]

Okay, yes, Cersei was born first.  Of course she was.  The girl does everything as seriously as possible.

Anyway, she was born first, but I'm pretty sure I will be the heir of this family.  I'm more easy going and Daddy likes that about me.  So I've decided to take over entries for now, unless Cersei magically loosens up a little.  We're twins anyway.  A few minutes isn't really an age difference.

China was actually perfect Cersei her because she started studying Sim Fu with dad!



That's her practicing on one of the dummies we brought home.  She's a higher belt than Dad already, but he says that's because she has the disciplined trait.



I think maybe he's not used to being second best at something!  He's still pretty good though.  I didn't want to study Sim Fu in China.  I got to know some of the local (boys). 



Most of them are too old for me.  Okay, okay.  And this one's wife seems unamused by me.



I didn't have a desire to make any enemies, so I checked the adventure board at base camp. 



I got this amazing opportunity to go explore the dragon cave.  You have to see this thing!



It was incredible inside.



I bought a tent so I could sleep in the tomb.  Daddy and Cersei stayed at base camp, reading and stuff.  I guess they liked keeping it low key.



I found loads of ancient gold and a few relics that I'll be able to take home, in addition to what the guy on the adventure board was looking for.



When we got back, Mom and everyone loved the photos.  It was pretty good to be home, but when I dream, I constantly think of the inside of the Dragon's Maw, and how it made me feel when I saw it for the first time.