The Jewels of Appaloosa Plains -- An Immortal Dynasty (Chapter Eight + End)

[peach]

The Jewels of Appaloosa Plains -- An Immortal Dynasty

Welcome to my Immortal Dynasty attempt, following Emerald Stone and her descendants as they make their bids for immortality in the rolling hills of Appaloosa Plains.

The Prologue



Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Five-and-a-Half and Chapter Five-and-Three-Quarters
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight

Sad Endings

[peach]

PROLOGUE



The cab from the airport marked her as an outsider right away. Townies’ heads turned as it passed through downtown.



Appaloosa Plains did dusty pick-ups and vintage fix-ups, and, when both of those failed, good ol’ hoofing it, either literally (on horseback) or on cowboy boot. Taxis did not fit into their equation.

Emerald scowled at their stares, setting her jaw and continuing to rub her thumbpad raw on a button of her overalls. The locals’ gawking only added to the pins of unease that'd been prickling her all over since the plane’s wheels left the ground.

The car arrived at 1007 Pomona Promenade, taking the last fumes of her life in Bridgeport with it as it sped off.



She was really here. She had really given up everything she’d ever known for a brand new town and a wild dream. As she stared into the vast, blank canvas of land that was now her home, her mind went back to the cramped apartment she’d left behind. She’d cursed that place for years—the ever-inflating rent, the water stains on the ceiling, the air conditioner you had to pound into working. For the first time in her life, she missed its sureness, its easiness.

Face-to-face with the fact that her new life was neither sure nor easy, Emerald’s stomach rolled.



In other shades of reality, hundreds had already tended the soil where she stood, coaxing the first hesitant shoots of a dynasty from the ground. Life fruit, soft as peaches, had grown and been fed to dozens of descendants; death flower bushes had bloomed and wilted, their dry violet leaves scattering on the earth. Around her, she felt the heavy, unseeable presence of all those who had come before in search of the same impossible dream. Some sized her up, while others merely eyed her in wonder. Why had she decided to disturb the silence? Was she really fit to complete the challenge?

Pondering those questions gave Emerald the same dizzy feeling she got back on the city sidewalk whenever she stared too long at the top of a skyscraper. So she closed her eyes and comforted herself with one thing she knew for certain:

Even the tallest trees start as a seed.





She turned the cold morning earth in her hands, and her daunted feeling subsided into calm; then, slowly, to purposefulness. This is what she’d dreamed of for years. Boundless land, just waiting to be gardened: unconfined to a window box, unencumbered by the fickle Bridgeport sun. Soil ripe for the planting, the rooting, the growing.

It was all hers—ready to be coaxed into the beginnings of her own dynasty.



Name: Emerald Stone
Traits: Grumpy, Green Thumb, Gatherer, Loves the Outdoors, Dog Person
LTW: The Perfect Garden

Town: Appaloosa Plains
Expansion Packs: Ambitions, World Adventures, Late Night, Generations, Pets, Supernatural

Other: The moon cycle is turned off, and I toggled the population settings to stop the whole town from being overrun by occults and celebrities.


It’s never too late to start an Immortal Dynasty. I’ve wanted to complete this legendary challenge for years, and finally got around to seriously attempting it.

Inspired by all those before me who have written the many wonderful Immortal Dynasty stories on the forum.

[peach]

CHAPTER ONE

In the city, the only part of Emerald that ever fit in was her surly attitude. The rest of her stuck out like a sore, green thumb.

But breathing in lungfuls of the clean country air, she finally felt at home. The open sky, the smell of the earth, and not a honking car in earshot—you’d be hard pressed to convince her there was a more beautiful place to found a dynasty than here.



She used the few funds she had on some basic furnishings. It wasn’t much, but she didn’t need much to be content. All she needed was a garden… and a dog. With acres of land now at her disposal and no landlord to veto it, Emerald's first call was to the animal shelter.



She found her perfect companion in Stone; from his name alone, she knew he was meant to be hers. He’s a clever and quiet boy. The two became fast friends.



Wary from her initial reception, Emerald didn’t make much effort to mingle in town her first few days. She was more than happy to focus on Stone instead, who learned to sniff out collectibles in exchange for belly rubs.





Emerald also spent some hours working in her garden, making a few visits to the local library to thumb through the skill books for advice. She gained the ability to weed and fertilize, and her plants began to flourish.



One of her afternoons at the library turned to night before she realized it. On the way out the door, she ran into a man named Booker Singleton, and all thoughts of gardening flew from her mind.



His voice didn’t carry the local residents’ twang. He was a fellow Bridgeport transplant; someone else who left the bustling city in favor of the serene green countryside. For Booker, the appeal was in the open river leaping with salmon and trout. Even as a skilled fisherman like him, you couldn’t catch much more than Sea Sludges in Bridgeport’s murky waters.

The two chatted for a while before he offered her a ride home in his sports car.



They took the scenic route, and Booker told Emerald all about the fortuitous business investments that had sent him and his brother into retirement long before the appearance of any wrinkles. In turn, Emerald told him about her life in Bridgeport, and the dream that had moved her to pack her bags. Well… the most sane parts of it, anyways.

A crazy idea began to take shape in Emerald’s mind. It wasn’t lost on her that a huge part of her success hinged on finding a partner, and a perfectly eligible one had fallen right into her lap, seemingly pushed by fate’s own hand. Was there any chance he would give up his luxurious life on the ranch for the little Emerald could offer—a sleeping bag, an outhouse, and a role in her dream?

The worst he could say was no, right?



As it turned out, it didn't strike him as crazy of an offer as Emerald thought. Booker had grown restless in an effortlessly cushy life, and was looking for a push to embark on his next challenge: becoming an artist. He'd already made a million Simoleons in the stock market. How hard could it be to do it again with a paintbrush?

The two fell into a comfortable pattern; with each morning spent waking up to share bread and jam, and each night dozing off side-by-side in sleeping bags under the stars, it didn’t take long for their relationship to progress past friendship. Emerald fell quick and hard for Booker’s abundant charms.



One thing led to another, and…



The all-outdoors lifestyle might’ve been fine for two of them, but it was no way to raise a child. Booker offered to part with his flashy car so the money could go towards building a home.



The blueprint is based off of another Appaloosa Plains starter house. It has a lovely open layout. The kitchen, eating area, and sitting area are all connected:







Not pictured are the bathroom and master bedroom, and Booker’s small painting studio. It contains only a stereo, an easel, and a horribly unsightly Super Sleeper.

In the back of the house is Emerald’s garden. She hit level seven during her pregnancy and celebrated with the purchase of two SwiftGro stations. Her normal garden grows under one pergola; she started her special garden under the other.





The special garden contains her special plants—she’s already growing at least one of each. It also contains some Glow Orbs she picked up at the elixir consignment shop and was finally able to propagate. Emerald began a careful cycle of tending, harvesting, and replanting. With patience, those mushrooms will become extremely lucrative.

It’s easy to overheat when you’re spending hours crouched in the dirt under the hot sun. Emerald made sure to take plenty of breaks to hydrate, usually with fresh, juicy watermelon, which she prefers to eat skin-on.



Booker was a very attentive father-to-be. Though he spends most of his hours painting, he still found the time to finish a parenting book, and was always willing to set down the paintbrush when Emerald complained of an aching back.







It wasn’t long before Emerald awoke from an evening nap with deep cramps. One laborious night in the hospital later, and a beautiful baby girl was born.



Her name is Fluorite Stone—the sculptor’s gem.

[CeresIn]

I like the tone of the story. A really nice start.

[peach]

Thanks for the kind words, @CeresIn!

[peach]

CHAPTER TWO

Shortly after Fluorite’s birth, the Stone family ran into a bit of a problem with funds. The bulk of the §40,000 or so that Booker’s car brought into the household had been used to build and decorate their home, and the remaining cash spent on other investments (like a sculpting station). When baby Fluorite was born, the family had exactly §71 to their names.

That may surprise you considering Stone’s hunting. I don’t think I made this clear, but they haven’t been selling any of the collectibles he brings home. This is a deliberate choice on my part to preserve the spirit of the challenge. Gem collecting has always been my money-making crutch; the combination of dogs’ ability to sniff out Tiberium and the Supernatural gem cutter make it completely overpowered. No shame on anyone who takes advantage of that strategy, but I wanted to force myself to earn money in different ways—even if it means there was an unfortunate run-in with the Repo man.





Stone was not happy when he repossessed his ball.





Booker and Emerald have been painting and gardening furiously, but held off on consigning any paintings or produce until someone had the Suave Seller reward. Emerald was finally able to buy it and went down to the consignment store with the first of many full inventories. Her regular visits have lifted the family into a much better position financially; the first batch of Glow Orbs she brought in were listed at §256 apiece, and sold, on day one, for an eye-popping §500! That money will be much needed in the coming days, since Fluorite isn’t a baby anymore:



They had a small family party to celebrate her Toddler birthday, which ended somewhat startlingly...



Once her hair was affixed back on her scalp, however, she turned out to be a darling.





I don’t think I mentioned this when she was born (maybe hinted at it), but Fluorite’s traits are Artistic and Easily Impressed.

Stone hadn’t been allowed around her much when she was just a baby. As soon as Fluorite became a Toddler, though, he got the green light to sniff her as much as he wanted, delighting them both.





But his love for Fluorite couldn’t quite shake his jealousy of her. Stone’s beloved Emerald was spending most of her waking hours with her daughter, either playing, teaching her the basics of life, or reading her books…







…and it didn’t leave much time for a pup like him to get any love. Lonely Stone started waking Emerald up in the middle of the night for some attention, which caused her grumpy trait to really show.



Nobody wanted a grumpy Emerald, least of all her. So she made a call to the animal shelter, and they brought over a teeny-tiny new friend to keep Stone company. He's barely bigger than a pebble, isn't he?



Stone and Pebble took to one another immediately, and everyone was happy.



While all this was happening, Booker was doing nothing but churning out sculptures.



To preface this next segment: I am a die-hard completionist. I decided before this challenge began that every single one of my immortals would have an ice sculpture and photo to go with their portraits for every stage of life, and I wanted to do it without moving in helpers (I like focusing on only a few Sims at a time). This proved extraordinarily ambitious, however, considering the single designated artist, Booker, starts with none of the necessary skills.

He reached painting level seven fine. The problems began when it came to photography. On the first day Emerald went to the consignment store, a Hikon QX40di Gladiator was for sale, but the family didn’t have enough money for it. By the time they scraped together the funds, it was gone, and Emerald had to settle for a ChannonTec. The difference between the two is noticeable. Booker couldn’t get a single decent picture of Fluorite—she got fussy nearly every time he lifted the camera, and when he did manage to catch a smile, the awful wide angle effect (coupled with his low skill) ruined it. This steeled my resolve even further to get her Toddler sculpture done.

Booker unlocked the ability to work with ice the day Fluorite aged up. I was optimistic at first, but getting 25 sculptures done in time seemed less and less feasible as the week went on. With two days until her Child birthday, Booker had only finished ten sculptures, and I started to panic. He finally achieved Chiselmaster, which would shave a good amount of time off the remaining ones needed, but completing anther fifteen would still be a Herculean effort.



He’d already been nursing a “Stir Crazy” moodlet for a few days. At this point, he stopped eating meals, and just scarfed down flame fruit from his inventory to save time. Whenever the "Sleepy" moodlet arose, he used the Super Sleeper for an hour or two—just enough to take the edge off—before getting back to work.

Some things went in our favor. Only one of his sculptures shattered, while another instantly completed itself. They started really flying off his fingertips, and success appeared to be within reach. Late in the afternoon of Fluorite’s Child birthday—hungry, exhausted, caked in filth, and stir crazy—Booker shaved the final chips of ice off his twenty-fifth sculpture.



Emerald hustled the birthday girl outside, and Booker managed to knock a few notches into a fresh block of ice before nearly passing out from exhaustion. So long as the sculpture was started, though, they knew he could finish it the next day, and he headed to bed for some much-needed rest.

Fluorite aged up to Child that night on the floor with very little fanfare. A party was the last thought on anyone’s mind in the scramble to complete her museum requirements.



At this point, I had been playing for several hours; slow game-savoring and leisurely screenshotting had become jaded fast-forwarding and frustrated clicking. I just wanted Booker to finish her sculpture so I could call it a night. He sprung into action the next morning, and with bated breath, I watched him carve the block with his chainsaw. I was terrified the thing would break…

The first rain of ice chips fell away. It didn’t shatter!

Instead, this was revealed:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

No.

It couldn’t be...

But it was. Booker sculpted a goblin.

I can laugh about it now (well, not laugh. Maybe chuckle a bit). At the time, darn if I didn’t nearly chuck my laptop out the window. So, despite my most valiant efforts, Fluorite’s museum will contain neither a Toddler photograph nor a Toddler sculpture. Maybe this is a lesson about perfectionism... or a lesson not to work my Sims to the bone. Sorry about that, Booker.

To round this chapter out, here’s a photo of Fluorite after I set the game down for a day, regained my will to play, and gave her and her new bedroom (formerly Booker’s painting studio) a makeover:



She is a cutie. Her new trait is Friendly.

[peach]

CHAPTER THREE

I don’t know what it is about this family. None of them have any traits that, as far as I’m aware, could be causing it—no one is Unlucky, no one is a Slob—and their appliances are all somewhat expensive. But for some reason, things in the house are constantly breaking. The shower, the kitchen sink, the Super Sleeper, the toilet...

Oh god, the toilet. I swear the toilet is broken more days than it is fixed.





I was planning on using Handiness as a SuperMax skill for an Immortal sometime down the line, but that time might have to arrive sooner rather than later. Everyone got so frustrated with having to wait on Booker, the only non-immortal, to fix things, that they just call the repairman now. The family has probably spent §500 on appliance repairs alone. But the cost isn’t what bothers Emerald. What bothers her is that the repairman is a repairwoman with eyes for her boyfriend.





They've never spoken; Emerald doesn’t even know what her name is. She only knows that every time this woman shows up—in her little witch hat—she puts a lascivious message for Booker in the corner of the screen:

We have so much in common. I’d love to get to know you better.

She is not a fan.

In other news, Fluorite is a darling. She loves school; she comes home every afternoon and finishes her work on her tablet without complaint. Her parents have instructed her that the MultiTab is strictly for homework purposes, and will be revoked if they catch her listening to unapproved skill Tabcasts.



She’s always pitching in around the house. She's happy to take care of the dishes, though she sometimes gets a bit of an attitude when her parents just leave them on the table. She was giving Booker the eye the other day.





She also loves to paint. She’s been mostly practicing on small canvases to get closer to Brushmaster, but started a large one the other day.



She needs a big space for her big ideas.

There have been lots of birthdays in the house. First Pebble, who isn’t so tiny anymore…



Okay, he’s still pretty tiny.

Then Booker. He completed his Lifetime Wish (Living in the Lap of Luxury) earlier that afternoon, and was feeling satisfied heading into adulthood.



Despite his Party Animal trait, they opted to celebrate with just a small cake for the family. I actually had to play Booker’s Adult birthday twice; the first time, he threw a party, but the save quickly became unplayable due to a weird mouse glitch and I reverted to a copy from a Sim day or two before. I suspect the party may have had something to do with it, so no big celebrations for now.

Booker’s birthday launched him into a relatively uneventful Midlife Crisis. Not much came of it other than the family buying a car and him briefly trying out a cool new hairstyle.



Finally, it was Emerald’s birthday. She wasn’t quite as excited as Booker was.



She doesn’t have much to worry about when it comes to getting older, though. Her Ambrosia requirements are coming along nicely. She SuperMaxed gardening and is on level nine of her career. A harvest from her Glow Orb garden now typically fetches anywhere from §10,000 to §20,000 at the consignment store, so it shouldn’t take her long to reach the top.



Her adult life stage will be focused on completing her LTW, making best friends, and maxing the cooking skill. She needs two more opportunities, but cooking ones should carry her through.

Booker had to do her Adult sculpture twice. You’ll never guess how the first one came out.



Seriously, Booker?! After everything that happened with Fluorite? Is this how you see your family?!

Actually, Booker has been thinking a lot about family lately, and what matters most to him as he gets older. His relationship with Emerald had taken a bit of a hit from all his focus on skilling; he decided to plan a nice dinner date at the Bistro so the two of them could have some time to themselves. Of course, when they got there, Emerald decided to go to a different table than him, and then set her plate of Ratatouille down in an inaccessible spot so she couldn’t even eat it.

No matter. She joined Booker and instead enjoyed a dinner of Perfect Flame Fruit from her inventory while he ate his grilled salmon.



The two laughed and chatted about the funny little life they’d built together, and the beautiful daughter they were raising. Seeing Emerald sitting there, looking so stunning—the glow of candlelight (and Flame Fruit) on her face... Booker felt even more sure about what he’d brought her there to do.



Emerald was confused…



But then her heart leapt into her throat.



The elderly Honey Darnell—who had been having a quiet dinner to herself that same night—strolled past the couple, her elegant cherrywood cane clicking on the patio tile. She had little interest in whatever business the young’uns behind her were getting into.



Emerald and Booker had been together for so long, and marriage felt like such a formal, traditional undertaking. Maybe that’s why they’d waited; neither of them were very formal or traditional. So they decided to do things their own way.

It didn’t require much preparation. The following evening, in simple clothes, the five of them piled into the car—Booker, Emerald, Fluorite, and the two pups—and headed to Cinnamon Crest Falls.



As the sun sank behind the hills, with the ones they loved most in the world watching…



Booker and Emerald exchanged their vows and rings.





He even took off his sunglasses. It couldn’t have been more perfect.



Oh, and of course, look who shows up the next day—bearing no wedding congratulations, mind you—as if she could smell those newly-minted Eternally Faithful moodlets.



Ahem. Don’t you see that picture behind you?! That wedding picture!? The nerve of that woman, I swear.

[CeresIn]

I'm sorry for the museum pieces. One trick I use when the camera won't show up is to buy and resell what's at the consignment shop multiple times. Also if you manage it well it is a good way to make money.

Cute wedding.

[Beks]

I love your story so far, peach! Your writing style is beautiful (especially that opening chapter - so well done), and the little family you've created is a delight to read about. And that house! I envy your building abilities. Appaloosa Plains is one of my favorite worlds and I'm thrilled to see a dynasty happening there. (I agree, it's never too late to start a dynasty!)

I feel your pain with the ice sculpture thing. I have just one ice sculpture missing from my immortal museum, because one of my sculptors hadn't completed Ice Personality yet and I didn't realize the sculpture had melted until after the heir's next birthday. And I had multiple sculptors running around at the time, too! I was so mad at myself, lol.

[peach]

One trick I use when the camera won't show up is to buy and resell what's at the consignment shop multiple times. Also if you manage it well it is a good way to make money.

Thank you so much for reading and for this tip, CeresIn! I did what you said and was able to finally get the Hikon. Emerald does have a bunch of random inventions and junk in her inventory now, but I'll probably have her consign them like you suggested.

I love your story so far, peach! Your writing style is beautiful (especially that opening chapter - so well done), and the little family you've created is a delight to read about. And that house! I envy your building abilities. Appaloosa Plains is one of my favorite worlds and I'm thrilled to see a dynasty happening there. (I agree, it's never too late to start a dynasty!)

Thank you! You are so sweet. I don't consider myself much of a builder due to the fact that I'm always swiping layouts from EA builds or house blueprints online, but I do enjoy decorating quite a bit, and reading this comment made me feel proud of myself, haha.

Yeah, those ice sculptures are a pain. It doesn't help that I don't particularly enjoy grinding the art skills in the game; I considered having my founder be a sculptor so I could be over with the whole thing after the first generation, but doing anything other than cooking/gardening/fishing for Gen. One felt like sacrilege, so Fluorite will be our artist instead.

[peach]

CHAPTER FOUR

I never feel like my game is very dark when I’m playing it, but then I look at my screenshots and don’t feel like I can see a thing. I tried brightening up some of the pictures in this chapter in Photoshop. Please let me know if it helped make things easier to see!

Emerald’s adulthood set off to an exceedingly productive start. She clenched her final promotion and achieved her Lifetime Wish; the cooking opportunities rolled in readily, and she finished the last two she needed with ease. The miles-long to-do list she brought from Bridgeport had dwindled to, essentially, tying up some loose ends: signing the deeds to a few properties, purchasing her Lifetime Happiness rewards, and rounding out the last levels of the cooking skill. What Emerald now faced was almost more terrifying than the Ambrosia requirements she’d first had to contend with: she needed to find things to fill the rest of eternity and the rest of her dwindling youth.

So she refined her cooking…



Gave some love to the aging Stone…



Taught Pebble to hunt—here he is with a small rock he dug up…



And spent time with her daughter, who was growing up before her very eyes.



But the whole time, Emerald couldn’t shake a sense of longing that had been mounting inside her for a long while. She never envisioned herself with a large family; when she got pregnant with Fluorite, she was certain her baby girl would be her first and last child. Yet for weeks, she had found herself contemplating the crib that still sat at the end of her and Booker’s bed, wondering what it would be like if their family grew by one more.

She finally gathered the courage to talk about how she was feeling with Booker.



It wasn’t a small decision by any means. Emerald had gone back and forth in her head over and over again: Was it fair to bring another child into the world, knowing they would never experience immortality? Could she bear the knowledge that she would outlive her or him? Or the opposite; what if she became an Elder and realized she’d chosen wrong, that she wanted another child, but there was no chance to go back and choose again, and their family was forever set in stone?

Booker thought for a long moment before he replied.



Maybe, Booker suggested, it wasn’t the sort of thing he or Emerald was meant to decide. Maybe they should just live their lives, and leave the rest up to Fate.

The idea surprised Emerald. She turned it over in her mind, seeing how it felt. For someone who had spent most of her adult life trying to maintain control—making sure skill levels, opportunities, promotions, friendships, and everything else happened on pace for her appointment with Ambrosia—the thought of turning the reigns over to the universe filled her with a sense of peace.

She embraced Booker and let herself relax into his arms.



This choice was up to fate.

Fluorite’s Teen birthday crept up before her mom and dad were ready. The birthday girl herself, however, couldn’t have been more excited. She opted to spend the day in the pretty dress she got for her parents’ elopement and was careful not to let any stray gobs of paint land on it.



Her museum is turning out a bit ridiculous, and I’m starting to just lean into it. First, there was all that nonsense with her Toddler pieces. Then, I didn’t realize she was missing her Child portrait until the morning of her birthday, so Booker had to scramble to get one done in time. I thought it looked okay from the first few brush strokes, and didn’t check again until he was done. When I saw it, I just burst out laughing.



By then, it was far too late to finish another, so that incredibly flattering depiction will live on the wall of the immortal museum… forever.

The family held a small celebration to welcome Fluorite into her teenage years. She gained a Good trait, which suits her well. However, part of being good is having a strong sense of what’s right and wrong, and Fluorite is starting to develop some of her own ideas about the two. You know—questioning authority and all that. In fact, she’s become a little bit of a rebel.



She wears ripped jeans and eyeliner now, and doesn’t see anything wrong with showing a bit of her midriff. She had some attitude for her dad when he tried to lecture her about it.



She still loves to paint, but doesn’t usually come straight home from school and park herself in front of the easel anymore. Compared to her tiny elementary class, her high school class is huge—something like ten or twelve other Sims—and spending time with new friends has filled up most of Fluorite’s afternoons. If she’s not with them in person, then she’s with them on the phone. The main topics of conversation always seem to be the same: who’s getting snubbed, who’s in detention for frogging the science lab, and, of course, who’s going with who to the upcoming prom.



She brought this young man home with her after her first day of high school. His name is Deandre Creech; he and Fluorite started spending most of their time together and even decided to become Best Friends Forever. He’s a bit rough around the edges—he’s a Kleptomaniac, a Technophobe, and a Slob—but he’s always sweet to Fluorite. His fourth trait, Easily Impressed, means he’s happy to listen to her Talk about Art for hours.

The dogs are big fans of him, especially Stone.



Whispers at Crestview High take bets on how long before he and Fluorite finally admit their feelings to one another. She denies they’re anything but friends. He denies it too (a little less believably, when you see the way he looks at her).

Deandre had something he wanted to talk to Fluorite about. When she proposed hanging out at the Rustler's Den one Friday night, he jumped at the idea; the place would afford them some privacy, which was a hard commodity to come by at either of their houses. But when they got there, it turned out the Den wasn't as unique, or as private, of a spot as he thought.



They ended up running into bad boy Dakota Fox. Fluorite took an immediate liking to his muscle tank and hair, and Deandre’s whole plan started to go off the rails.



While Fluorite and Dakota chatted on and on—apparently he was on the same wavelength as her about that anti-establishment stuff—Deandre ended up in the brambles, dejectedly playing with a bluebird.



He left that night with only a despondent goodbye to his best friend. With Plan A ruined by Mr. Frosted Tips, he would have to go with Plan B.

When Fluorite got home, her phone rang with a call from Deandre; he blurted out "Doyouwanttogotopromwithme?" nearly the minute she picked up the line.



She brushed him off with a laugh, and told him she wasn’t really planning on going with a date. Deandre was a little disappointed, but he understood. Secretly, I think Fluorite is enjoying all this attention.

Emerald finished teaching Fluorite how to drive that weekend, and she used her newfound freedom to hang out with Dakota at the park. The two get along well—he, like Fluorite and Deandre, is Easily Impressed. He’s also a Mooch and a Light Sleeper, and he Loves the Outdoors.



Fluorite got to meet some of his family, too: his mother, Cheyenne, and his little brother, Alonso, who were both fascinated by the rat crawling in the grass just behind them.



She dragged Deandre to see an indie film with her the next day, but he ended up getting ditched, again, so Fluorite could introduce herself to the handsome (and tragically a bit too old) Cruz Martingale.



He got stuck chatting with Benni Hennessy instead. He looks a little scared of her here.



News of the budding love triangle spread like wildfire through the Crestview halls. With prom right around the corner, all eyes were on Fluorite to see who she would choose: Dakota or Deandre…

But Fluorite wasn’t the only one with exciting things happening. Booker and Emerald left the future of their family up to Fate—and it seems like Fate has spoken.



A baby is on the way!

(It really was a tough decision. I hadn’t planned on Emerald or Booker having any more children; I prefer playing small families, and having five Sims and Pets was already pushing my limit [says the person attempting an Immortal Dynasty, where she will have to play as eight Sims by the time the final generation comes around]. However, when Emerald rolled the wish, something about it touched me. I decided to leave things up to the game. She and Booker tried for a baby once, and got the chimes!)

[Beks]

The picture of Pebble with the giant space rock made me laugh out loud. And hooray for new nooboos!

[peach]

CHAPTER FIVE

Despite being an older mother this time around, Emerald’s second pregnancy went much like her first.



She was plagued by the same backaches she experienced when she carried Fluorite. Unfortunately, this time, Emerald couldn’t depend on Booker for massages. He had developed a nocturnal schedule, spending his nights in the graveyard building up a stock of Deathfish and sleeping through most days.



Emerald instead turned to the spa for relief. She became quite fond of Deep Tissue massages, and was in the midst of one when her contractions struck. She barely had time to wrestle her dress back on before she was out the door, waiting for Booker to wake up and take her to the hospital.



She gave birth to a beautiful baby girl named Turquoise, who has the traits Genius and Light Sleeper.



Turquoise has the face of an angel… and the lungs of death metal frontman. She loves to be held, and has no qualms making it known when she feels she’s gone a bit too long without snuggles.





But that sweet smile always reappears as soon as someone comes to hold her.



Turquoise's time as an infant flew past, as it always does. Her Toddler birthday arrived the same day as Fluorite’s prom, and the family celebrated with cake that afternoon.



Deandre was there to share a piece. Despite not being Fluorite’s date, he came over after school and got ready for the dance with her.



Here’s Fluorite looking lovely holding her baby sister. I didn’t capture it much, but Fluorite just adores that little girl, and the feeling is mutual.



The limo arrived around 5:00 PM, and the two teens headed outside.



Deandre really couldn’t take his eyes off Fluorite the whole ride there.



He knew he wasn’t her date, like, officially, but they were going to prom together, like physically going—and yeah, she had that whole thing with that Dakota guy, and people were saying he was into her, but Fluorite told Deandre herself it was nothing—and Deandre and Fluorite spent all their time together, and were Best Friends Forever, you know, and Booker had slapped him on the back on their way outside, so like—

There had to be some sort of chance, right? That they would finally, finally get together at prom?



Deandre’s hopes were high as the limo headed to the school.

Fluorite was the Belle of the Ball that night. Her sparkling high-low dress caught everyone’s eye; she even got voted Prom Queen. Deandre wasn't Prom King, but that was fine with him. He didn’t really like all that attention, and preferred to leave the spotlight to Fluorite, who looked so, so beautiful, up there on stage—had he told her she looked beautiful yet?

And anyway, the Prom Queen and Prom King didn’t always dance together. The Queen was free to choose her own partner.

As Fluorite stepped off the stage, her gaze searching the crowd, Deandre’s skin prickled all over. He looked around for Dakota, but Fluorite wasn’t headed towards him. Instead, she made a beeline towards… Alonso?!



Yes, that’s right. Alonso Fox, last seen playing with a rat in the park while Fluorite chatted up his older brother.

Everyone at Crestview was shocked, and so was I. I had Fluorite say no when Deandre asked her to prom because, despite being attracted to him, she hadn’t rolled anything but friendship wishes, and I wanted to see who she would end up with autonomously at the dance. I was almost certain that it would be him or Dakota. Fluorite had met Alonso briefly before, but hadn’t even been attracted to him!

Deandre and Dakota aged up shortly after prom, so those relationships had to go on pause. With the free time to spare, and in the interest of exploring every option, Fluorite spent some time getting to know Alonso.





Three of his traits are Animal Lover, Grumpy, and Technophobe. Not terrible, but something about him didn't really do it for her. The two had a sleepover at the Fox house, and Fluorite had a wish to become Good Friends and nothing more. Unless something changes, they’ll stay friends; maybe those momentary sparks at prom were simply a product of the adrenaline of the night.

With her Teen stage winding down and all her closest friends already graduated, Fluorite turned her attention back to painting. She got a wish to donate to a charity, and the idea slowly grew from there. She's hoping to sell some of her paintings in order to put together a sizeable contribution before she ages up.



Little Turquoise was also focused on learning. She picked up her Toddler skills quickly on account of her Genius trait.



She used that cleverness to develop another useful ability: knowing exactly when to fuss to get whatever she wanted.

Having to put away her toys?



A well-timed tantrum, and they stayed exactly where she wanted them in the foyer.



Bedtime too early? Cry for extended snuggles and stories. Emerald appears to be getting a bit sick of it here.



The only person Turquoise reliably listened to was Fluorite. She relished in the attention of her big sister.





Their favorite activity was going for a ride on the rocket ship—though even they butted heads occasionally when rocket time was over.



What a cute little stinker.

The girls’ birthdays are quickly approaching (Fluorite to Young Adult and Turquoise to Child). The family has plans to finally throw a real birthday party when the day comes, but that will have to wait until the next update.

[peach]

The picture of Pebble with the giant space rock made me laugh out loud. And hooray for new nooboos!

Thanks Beks. I have some great pics of Pebble and his rocks for the next chapter.

[mpart]

I just started reading this dynasty and I LOVE your writing style! Emerald is gorgeous and Stone has my heart. I'm really excited to see where this story goes