What's in a Name?: My First Legacy Challenge (Chapter 2 up!)

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Prologue

One foggy morning in mid-February, there was a terrible car accident. A tan Lemon came careening down Redwood Parkway at high speed. Somehow, the driver lost control and drove into Sunset Valley's brick welcome sign across the street from the Darling house (later the Crumplebottom house). The driver, a dark-haired woman, was killed instantly. The sound of the crash of the crash awoke the Darlings, who rushed to help.

Steven Darling was a firefighter and immediately got to work trying to get the driver out. Lisa Darling, a schoolteacher, was on the phone with emergency services and frantically trying to get help. It was 8-year-old Erik that noticed the movement in the backseat. He stood on his tip toes to see inside the back better. There, in a mangled basket, was a toddler-aged boy. Erik pointed to him through the shattered driver's side back window and looked towards his parents.

"Mom? Dad? There's a baby in here."

His parents looked at him with renewed panic. "There's a what?!"

***

Lisa and Steven used all of their connections to ensure that the toddler (named Arlo after the name tattooed on the driver's shoulder) was placed with the best available foster family, the Broadbents. William and Melinda loved their new son. However, only a year later, they were killed in a car accident as well.

The news spread like wildfire. The foster community was in an uproar about the "cursed boy" and reports of his "dead mom's ghostly revenge". The stories never quite died down and poor Arlo was an object of fear from everyone around him. No one wanted him and so he bounced from foster care until Arlo was old enough to be sent to Fort Starch Military School.

While it was great to no longer be feared, his instructors were also not the loving parents he needed and wanted. His early childhood in foster care made him different than his classmates. Unlike them, he had no family to go home to for the holidays. This made him hard to relate to for the other kids. Arlo never really made friends.

***

Arlo's lack of history or family had always been an issue with him. You see, it wasn't even just that he carried the last name Doe (the name the hospital gives to unidentified patients), it was that his first name was just as meaningless. He tried to look up the meaning or origin of his name, hoping it would give him clues to his family. To his frustration, it is both of uncertain meaning and origin. Undeterred, he decided he was still going to do something about it. He started studying laws and real estate in the afternoons while working nights at a grocery store to save up simoleons.

The morning of his 18th birthday, he went out and made a name for himself...literally. Upon graduating, he enlisted in the SimNation draft as Arlo Steven (in honor of Mr. Darling) Walsh. The name "Walsh" means foreigner or stranger", which he thought was fitting. Leaving the headmaster's office, he climbed into the cab to take him to Sunset Valley. He'd saved up enough simoleons to buy some land out there. Even if he couldn't find out about his past, Arlo was determined to make himself a great future!

Hello! Thanks for reading my post! I hope you stick around and enjoy the story. I enjoy feedback as long as it's on-topic and appropriate. I haven't really got a concrete plot line in mind beyond what you see in these first few posts. Feel free to offer suggestions for plot points. If they are doable and enjoyable, I will try to incorporate them! Happy Simming!

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Game Setting & Expansions
Town: Sunset Valley
Lot: 15 Summer Hill Court
Expansions: Ambitions, Generations, and Seasons

Legacy Challenge Rules
I have been asked already which challenge I am using. I found it here http://www.simslegacychallenge.com/legacy-challenge-rules/sims-3-legacy-challenge-rules . Sorry about the full link. Hyperlinking  is hard on phones!

Optional Legacy Challenge Rules in Effect
Family trait: this will be the nurturing trait which will be taken as soon as it is an option. All others will be randomly genersted.
Qualifications to inherit: this is a patrilineal patriarchy with preference to the first-born son.
Naming conventions: all children born into the family will be given "nickname-proof" names in alphabetical order by birth order and gender (i.e. Arlo's son/heir will be a "B" name but a daughter will be an "A", as she is the first girl born a Walsh).

Current Household Description
Arlo Walsh was a foster kid. He never really had anything of his own. No family. No friends. He is back in Sunset Valley to see if he can find what happened the morning he was found. Who was the woman driving? Was she his mother? Where was she going in such a hurry? Can he finally settle down and have the family he's been dreaming of since his childhood?

Meet our Founder!
Name: Arlo Steven Walsh
Personality: Good, hopeless romantic, natural cook, neat and nurturing.
Favorites: Pancakes, pop music and the color blue.
Sign: Aquarius (Estimated to be born February 3rd)

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Chapter List
Prologue
Chapter One- Back Where He Started
Chapter Two- The Trouble With Girls

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Chapter One- Back Where He Started

After finding work in dream career at a restaurant, Arlo got to work searching the web for any clues about the accident.



An hour later he logged off. The kid Erik Darling still lived in town. Well, he wasn't a kid anymore and newly married! Hoping it wouldn't be rude, Arlo rushed off to introduce himself!



To his dismay, no one was home! Withing else to do, Arlo went back to the library. May as well brush up on his cooking skills! After getting his first skill point, he decided to introduce himself to some locals. Hmm, he was getting hungry. Off to the gym to raid their snack fridge! It was raining as he headed home for the night. As he fell asleep, he wondered what life here would be like and if he could solve his mystery at all.

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Chapter Two- The Trouble With Girls!



After a good night's sleep, Arlo wakes up eager to go on Day 2! Despite the rain, he decides to check out the town's Summer Festival. He's never been to a festival before. He made sure to take a photo to celebrate the occasion. He tried to enter an eating contest but no one else was interested.



Figuring maybe this wasn't a good day for this, he headed to the gym. Hmm, there's some interesting people to meet, too! He hadn't been there long when he was approached by this cute blonde, who decided to chat him up! This was great! Feeling daring, he smoothly asked for her sign. Sagittarius! Score! And she's a hopeless romantic! Double score! Arlo just went for broke and asked if she was single. She suddenly went quiet and sad. "Y-yes." Agnes Crumplebottom told him the story of the death of her newlywed husband, Erik.



Arlo felt like a total jerk. Not only has he brought up a painful subject for a nice girl but he had been flirting with the widow of his rescuers' son! Plus, this means that his only lead is gone. Awkwardly, he excused himself, explaining that he had to go to work now.



It was his first day at work at Hogan's Diner. Eager to wash his mouth of the disastrous social encounter earlier, he decided to meet his new co-workers. Cornelia Goth was quick to give his a flirty wink but he'd already seen her wedding ring. Uh-uh! He'd already made that mistake today! On the way home, he picked up a standing wash basin.



At 7 AM on Day 3, he was up and off to the gym. No girls this time! Maybe he'd use his gym membership to work out for once! Passing a handful of ladies already there, he busied himself with the treadmill. Arlo snagged 2 Athletic skill points before heading off to work.



More co-workers to meet! Molly French is a bit too "friendly" with customers and co-workers alike for his taste. Plus, she seems a little wild which gives Arlo the impression that she's way more into partying than starting a family. He isn't sure he like Jared Frio either. There's just something cold and untrustworthy about him. On the way home, he paid the bills and bought himself an umbrella. It sure rains a lot here during the summer.

The next morning (Day 4), he decided to head to Hogan's for breakfast before heading to the library. He really needs to buckle down and brush up on his cooking skill. Arlo managed to finish the first cooking book and earn his 3rd skill point in record time.

After taking a bathroom break, Fiona McIrish approached him to praise a great book she'd read. He shared some juicy gossip in return. The second book she tried to tell him about he didn't like. Then like a tool, he tried flirting with her. That...did not go very well.



Awkward, Arlo left to read...something. He didn't care what as long as he got away from Fiona and that tension. Soon, he was ready for bed. When he got home, his phone was ringing. It was Cornelia Goth asking him for a date! Ohohohohoh, no! He flat out refused her! Off to bed! He laid there thinking about how much it stinks to be poor...literally! He couldn't even afford a shower or stove or fridge! (Seriously, all of his wants are to buy things he needs but doesn't have!)



The next morning (Day 5) was Leisure Day! Too bad it was raining again! Still, maybe the pool at the gym would be fun. It was very long before this guy, David Barrett, challenged him to a breath contest. Arlo won, of course. He seemed cool, so he introduced himself. Yeah, he turned out to be a real man's man. He's brave, charismatic and a family man. Oh, and he has a sister? This could end well. He found her upstairs talking to this cute girl, Tori Kimura. Oh, her name is Amanda and their signs are good! As he dared to ask her if she was single, she got a little uneasy.



Arlo was disappointed as he asked, "What's wrong?" Amanda tried to smile.  "Oh, don't get me wrong. You are nice and funny. It's just that you look just like my dad. Like, exactly like Dad, only younger with black hair. I can't believe David didn't even notice." Arlo was frozen to the spot. "Wh-what?" Amanda chuckled. "I know it sounds weird. Sorry!" Arlo suddenly felt sick and had to run for the bathroom. After washing up, he just stood there in front of the sink, completely overwhelmed.



Did he dare risk telling Amanda or David? How should he go about this? He wanted to find his dad for so long but he never planned how to actually confront him! Wait...could his dad be in this very building right now?! He suddenly couldn't stand it. He ran out of the gym and took a taxi home. He just paid his bills and tried not to think about it as he fell asleep.

Wow, I wasn't expecting this so fast! I am not sure where to go from here now! If you have any ideas as to where to go from here, I'd love to hear them!