Chapter Twenty One

[strangetomato]

 

Warnings: language, sexual situations, drug use


Chapter Twenty One







Nervous Subject poured himself a glass of water and slowly drank it.




It felt good. Nice and cold, pouring down his throat.




"So, how do you feel today?" Pascal entered the kitchen.

"Okay."




"And how about your dreams?"

"The same."

Are they as bad as during the withdrawal?"

"No."




"Well, that's good. An improvement."

Pascal wanted to ask Nervous what had happened, but he could wait. He'd come around, all in good time. Nervous had told him that Olive had been his mother, but that was all. There was obviously more to it than that. Plenty of painful memories.

Pascal could wait.




"That graveyard is not doing you one bit of good, Nervous." Pascal observed. "I think we could make life a whole lot easier for you if we moved it, even if just to the next lot."




"Move it?"

The idea didn't appeal to him. He didn't want to meddle with the dead. He did that enough as it was.




"Yes. Move it. We can hire some people with equipment to come in and do it. We don't even have to get that involved with the details. I think it will be good for this place, and then you could do something else with the yard."






"Ophelia is quite handy with flowers and gardening, I hear. She would probably plant a garden here for you."

"Okay."




"And why don't we clean this place up? Make some changes around here? It would be nice to wash away the past, wouldn't it?"




"Yes..." Nervous looked at Pascal, and gave the tiniest of smiles. It would be very nice to wash away the past. They stood there, quietly, for a while, as Pascal mopped up the last traces of ghostly activity from the yard. After some time, Nervous spoke.

"Thank you." He said. "For helping me."

Pascal just smiled.




He didn't need to say anything else.




"Ripp, what are you doing?" Johnny asked.

Ripp was standing in the living room, staring at the vase of flowers. Flowers, he thought. How fucking weird.

"Ripp! Earth to Ripp! What the hell are you doing, you weirdo?"




"Nothing." He said. "Looking at these flowers."

"Ohhhh...kaaaay. Whatever." Sometimes it was best not to ask with Ripp.

Johnny went ahead and got started on the assignment that he needed to finish, but then realized that Ripp had started staring at him instead.




"I'm sorry... do you have a problem, Ripp?"

"No. No problem."

"Then do you MIND?"

Ripp moved along but continued to wonder why Johnny would have neglected to mention the details of alien biology to him. Sure, Johnny was pretty tight-lipped about sex in general, but come on... something like that? Was he embarrassed? Or maybe...




Maybe Johnny didn't even know. Dear god, Ripp thought. It's not like Buzz had been forthcoming with the "sex talk", and he'd caught on pretty early anyway, but this was too much. If he was able to pollinate people, he'd like to know that. If his father had something resembling a vagina, that might be nice to know too. Maybe Johnny's was dormant, or something. How did they know for sure? It might burst open at any second. Fucking crazy.

"You're still doing it, Ripp."

"Sorry, John."




"Oh, since I'm not exactly getting anywhere with this, maybe we can talk about this weekend..."

"What about it?"

"We're invited to a party."

"When?"

"Saturday night."




"Can't do it, Johnny. You know I have a gig."

"It's not a paid gig, though."

"That doesn't mean I can skip it! And we are getting paid, sort of. The sorority is supplying all of the drinks. That'll end up costing them way fucking more than paying us, when you factor in all four of us, especially Gunnar. I have never seen a man consume so much alcohol in my entire fucking life."




"When do you play?"

"Not until later on in the night."

"Couldn't we do both?" Johnny asked. "Like dinner, and then we could all go to the sorority party." That would also cut the party at Jayne's place short, which might be a good thing, if things get weird.

"YOU want to go to the sorority party?" Ripp raised an eyebrow.




"Yeah, why not?"

"Ummm, okay..."

"I'm not the unbearable loser that you seem to think I am, Ripp."

"Yeah, sure. Sounds fun. So where's the party?"

"It's a girl I know from the art program. She's also part alien - Jayne Doe."

"Oh, right. She does set painting sometimes."

"Yeah, and she's inviting us over. Her rommate will be there too... Stella Terrano. She's a -"




"Yeah, I know who she is."

"Oh. Okay. Is there anyone you don't know, Ripp?"

"Hardly. I am in a band, you know. And she's a girl, isn't she? I fucking notice these things, Johnny." Johnny wondered for a moment, but then decided not to ask. Ripp would definitely have said something if he had. It's not like he kept those kinds of details to himself.




"So, are you up for it?"

Oh, he was "up" for a chance to see Stella again, alright. Any time, any place. "Yeah, that sounds alright." He smiled. "Wait. If this is a big alien dinner party, does that mean I have to eat some weird birdseed or fucking lawn clippings?"




"I'll warn them about your preference for meat products of questionable origin."

"Thanks. You're my fucking hero, Johnny."




"Don't forget eggs." Ophelia said. "I noticed that we're out of them, by the way, Ripp. Did you figure out how to boil them, after?"

"Yeah. Sort of."




Buck and Jill should have been in Chemistry class, but they were in the hot tub instead. At Buck's house.




It was unusual for Buck to even dream about skipping school, but some things were worth breaking the rules for. And he'd been drifting around through his classes anyway, since his father had disappeared. It was hard to stay focussed.




And his ability to focus decreased in direct proportion to the likelihood that he might get to touch Jill's breasts, which had gone way up.








In fact, he'd crossed that bridge days ago. Now he was focusing his energy on finding ways to re-enact the same scenario.




It was surprising how quickly things could progress once the ice was broken, especially given nearly unlimited access to a perfectly deserted house. They were working their way through all of the rooms, and around the bases at the same time.




It was still a little strange to Jill, being with Buck, her best friend. Making out with him. Touching him, and having him touch her. She wasn't sure where it was going, but she liked it. She liked trying new things, and Buck was pretty open to doing them. It was easy. She didn't feel nervous at all.

But what were they now? Still just friends, who happened to be experimenting with each other? Or more? She knew how Buck felt, but she hadn't agreed to be his girlfriend. And he hadn't asked her, either.




She liked Buck, she really did, and it felt good to be with him. It felt good when he touched her.

But what about Ripp?

There was something about that. It had been different. Being with Buck felt right, but being with Ripp had also felt wrong. Wrong in a good way.

But what did that matter now? It''s not like Ripp had called her. He probably wouldn't. She wasn't completely stupid. And there was no way she could see both of them at the same time. Even if they weren't brothers, it would be difficult. None of that was worth a second thought. Why think about anything?




Why think, when it was so much better to act? She would live for the moment, and let her heart guide her.




Ripp was on his way to meet up with his band, and saw that Tank was taking out the garbage at that exact moment.

"Hard at it, I see, Tank."

"Well, you know what they say about idle hands, Ripp."

"Don't I fucking know it."




"Band practice?"

"Yeah."

"Look, I know you practise on the roof because there's no room anywhere else, but does it have to be so loud?"




"Sure, Tank. We'll rock out a little more quietly, just for you."

"Well..."

"Oh fuck off, Tank. You don't play that sort of thing quietly."

"It's just distracting when I'm working on assignments."

Ripp sighed.

"But play as loudly as you want today. We're going into Sim City."




"Oh, WE are are we?" Ripp smiled. "You must have a lot of fun on these outings."

"Well, yeah. How often did we ever go back into the city once we got to Strangetown?" He was about to say that their mother used to take them sometimes, but didn't.

"Anywhere is more exciting than Strangetown." Ripp declared.

Tank didn't say anything, but silently agreed.

"We're actually going into the city today too." Ripp said. "We're meeting up with a band that's considering us as their opening act for a couple of big shows."




"Really..." Tank had no idea that Ripp was actually going anywhere with this band thing. "That's pretty impressive, Ripp."

"Yeah. I'm not as fucking useless as you think I am, am I?" Ripp grinned. "Well, have a merry, gay old time, Tank! I'll see you around."

"Yeah... don't be a stranger, Ripp."




Ripp's smile shifted from a mocking one to a real one. "Okay, Tank. I'll do that."




Tank entered the house to find Frances waiting for him. "Are you just about ready to go, Tank?"

"Yeah."

"So, you don't mind dropping in to see my sister between errands, do you?"




"Not at all. I've subjected you to my relatives a couple of times, haven't I? And they even invaded your house."

"I like your brothers."

Tank laughed. "Yeah, when they aren't showing up to make some big scene in the hallway here."




"I'm ready to go whenever you are."




"Ripp is here, Jax! You can stop throwing that fit now, sweetie!" Zoe yelled up the stairs as Ripp entered the room.




"She's out for blood today, and you're late. Again."

She headed over to the bubble blower.




"Sim City is not going anywhere." He said as he took a seat next to her.

"We're talking about Jaxy, right?" Zoe laughed. "Like that matters." She inhaled deeply.




"Besides, we did agree to meet the members of Llama Dance Party at a specific time."




"Yeah, I suppose." Ripp said as he exhaled.




"Gunnar said he isn't fucking coming!" Jaxy fumed, as she entered the room. "Fucking jackass."




"He's just hungover."

"He's still fucking drunk!" Jaxy laughed. "But he never wants to do any of the actual business of the band. And he's got issues with the 'chick band' that we're meeting with."

"They're a great band."




"Well, fuck yeah, they are. One of the best. Gunnar's just being a fucking dick about it. Fuck him!" Jaxy sidled up to the bubble blower. "Once I clear my head, let's get the fuck out of here."




She took the longest, deepest drag that Ripp had ever witnessed.




After a couple more, they were ready to leave.




Soon they found themselves killing time in the Hortense & Mortimer clothing chain next to the cafe where the would meet the band.

"Let's see how well Ripp cleans up." Zoe said, with a laugh, as she grabbed a handful of items. "Here - put this on."

She ushered him into the change room with his arms full of clothing, and he soon found himself trying on a rather interesting outfit.




"These pants are something else, Zoe." Ripp laughed. "Where the fuck did you even find them?"

"Want to do up at least one or two buttons on the shirt, Ripp?!" Jaxy retched. "I don't need to see all seven of your fucking chest hairs, honey."

"Eat a dick, Jaxy."

"I actually quite like it, Jax." Zoe said, with a smirk. "He looks like one of those Harlequin romance cover studs. Ripp could totally be one of those guys, with all the cherries he's popped."

"Fuck - I could be one of those guys, in that case." Jaxy added.




"But Ripp doesn't wait for chapter 18, do you, Ripp?" She chuckled. "Needs a tan, though... and maybe we could grease him up a bit more."

"No, he's fucking greasy enough." Jaxy groaned.

"Yeah, it is pretty fucking hot, isn't it?" He said. "Well, when you're good, you're good." He eyed himself in the mirror, clearly in love with what he saw. Then he gave the outfit some more consideration too.




"Errr, I don't know about this..." He laughed. "I think I look like a bit of a knob, really."

"Sure do, Ripp."

"Were you ever planning to fucking tell me?"

"No. It would be more fun to see you make an ass of yourself."

"Dream on, bitches."




Jaxy came out of the change room and started laughing. "Hey look! I'm Sarah Love." They all started dying with laughter.

"No, she wouldn't show that much skin!"

"So this is what it feels like to be a fucking 'good girl'? It's really fucking overrated."

"Well, just think off all the blue balls you can leave in your wake." Zoe laughed. "Being a big tease."

"Well, they can keep their fucking balls in their pants - I don't care what fucking colour they are... but what's the fun in being a tease?"




"Well, the fun would be in crushing someone like Ripp's dreams of having you."

"Oh that's right! Ripp was after her, wasn't he?" Jaxy laughed heartily.

He smiled. "Yeah, and you'd better be careful with that sweet innocent dress on... there are a lot of nasty boys out here who might want to have a piece of that."

"I'd like to see them fucking try."






"Wow. There are some seriously wild outfits in this store." Zoe said, as she emerged from the change room in another crazy get-up. This one contained nearly every colour in the rainbow, and didn't cover all that much.




"So what do you think, Ripp?" She winked at him. "Too much skin or not enough?"

"You can never show too much skin for me. You know that." He laughed. He tried not to stare directly at her mostly exposed breasts, but they did basically have bulls-eyes on them. Zoe could see him struggling at the challenge, and she smiled.

"Yeah, not bad, are they?"

Ripp said nothing, but raised his eyebrows in approval.




Ripp tried to ignore it as much as he could, but there was no denying his attraction to Zoe, and she gave off plenty of suggestive signals to him. It went back to the day that he had first tried out for the band. It hadn't been fear that he was stiff from.

Still, there weren't many ideas that Ripp could think of that were worse than flirting with Jaxy's girlfriend. It would be similar in effect to shaking a hornet's nest. Zoe, however, flirted with him all of the time, and Jaxy didn't make an issue of it. It clearly annoyed her, but she tolerated it because Zoe was naturally flirtatious. Ripp had a little wiggle room because of that, but he knew that she was definitely keeping a close eye on the situation.

He knew that the whole open relationship thing had her a bit peeved too. It played into her fears that Zoe wasn't in it for the long haul. She had already confessed to him, in a moment of drunken weakness, that she really did worry that Zoe might be nothing more than a dabbler. Someone who played around with their sexuality in college, only to later settle down into a traditional, and very heterosexual, relationship.




Jaxy tried on a number of things, and declared each one to be more "fucking ridiculous" than the last.

"Wait. This is the worst thing I've ever fucking seen. I have to try it on."




"Well, what do you think?"

"Wow, that is ugly." Remarked Zoe.

"Really?!" She pretended to take offense. "You don't LOVE my fucking cream terrycloth jumpsuit with the elastic waist?"

They errupted into fits of laughter, causing some of the sales associates to glance over at them. They were already being watch fairly closely, since they were all in the male changing area together.




"God, I always get pieces of crap stuck in my fucking teeth..." She said as she looked in the mirror.

"Maybe don't eat so much crap, then."

"Har har! Very amusing, Ripp."

"Those boots are cool, though, Jax."

"Yeah, they're alright. I have no time for boots. Too fussy. Give me a good pair of sneakers any day. I'll fucking gladly leave things like boots and shoes to girly girls like you."




"All jokes aside, I have the perfect thing for you, Ripp." Jaxy said. "Fucking awesome."

She forced the pile of clothes into his arms, and sent him in.




"Speaking of greasing people down..." He laughed. "I almost needed to grease my legs to get them into these pants, Jax! This leaves absolutely nothing to the fucking imagination."

"It's good advertising for you, Ripp." Zoe said.

"I don't need to fucking advertise, thank you very much! I get by quite well on word of mouth."




"Still, a girl likes to know what she's getting into..."

"If she needs to know that badly, I can tell her. I think they generally get the right impression." He tossed his hair back. He hadn't received any complaints so far, anyway. "Like I said, word of fucking mouth. You're not going to tell me that girls don't talk about that, are you? That's bullshit. I've heard them" He paused.

"And it's not all about size, you know. Technique matters too."




"Spoken like a man with only two inches of cock." Zoe laughed.

"Hey!" Ripp protested. "I obviously have more than that! Can't you see?" He made a sweeping gesture to where it was all clearly on display.

"Okay, sorry... THREE inches."

"Fuck you." He said. "It's limp anyway. It doesn't count."

"It'll be limp forever if you don't stop talking about it!" Jaxy roared. "God, It's like a fucking member of the band, and I'm forced to hang out with it."

"Yeah, a 'member' of the band..." Zoe laughed at her own joke.




"I look like a douche." He said. "I'm changing."

"You look cool, Ripp. Skinny jeans are in. It's a fucking great look."

"You only think that because I look fucking exactly like you do. You've basically dressed me up as a male version of you, Jax."

"Well, it's a fucking sweet look, that's why."




"I'm changing." Ripp said, as he headed for changing booth. "I'm not dainty enough to carry this off."

"You calling me fucking dainty, Ripp?"

"Yes."




"Look, Jax. You, at least, have a nice little perky, FEMALE ass. Nobody needs to see the outline of a man's ass like that." Ripp wagged it at her to cries of disgust. "Except maybe my brother's roommate."

"Frances Worthington?"

"The one and only."




"Your brother REALLY doesn't fucking know?"

"No fucking idea."

"How stupid is he?" Zoe asked.

"Very."




'The thing you need to know about Tank is that he's about as sensitive as a fucking brick. And about as socially clueless as a newborn baby."

"Fucking hilarious."

"They're in town today, actually, shopping together." Ripp snickered. "Tank wouldn't pick up on it unless Frances took him shopping for gay porn, I'm pretty sure. Even then, maybe not. He's a dumbass."




"You know, I used to think the letters stood for Hot and Moist." Zoe laughed.

"That's awesome." Ripp said. "I'd buy way more fucking clothes there, if that was the name."

"Everybody would."




"So where are we meeting the girls?" Ripp asked.

"At the coffee shop next door."

"What a great day for you, Ripp." Zoe said. "Just you and the girls."

"It's ALWAYS just Ripp and the girls, isn't it?" Jaxy said. "Ripp IS one of the fucking girls."

"Works for me." He said. "It beats hanging out with a bunch of ugly guys all day." They walked up the steps of the coffee shop and went inside.




Llama Dance Party was already waiting for them inside.

"Hi, I'm Jaxy." She said. "We're not fucking late, are we? We got a bit sidetracked..."

"No, we're just early. Please, have a seat." The woman at the head of the table gestured to the empty chairs. "So, you're familiar with the band, I assume, but I'll introduce everyone anyway, just in case."




"I'm Debbie."




"This is Cammy."




"And that's Edie."




"Nice to meet you, finally! I'm such a huge fan." Jaxy said. "I might not have fucking survived high school if I didn't have your music to get me through it."

Debbie smiled. "That's always the best compliment." She looked around the table. "So this is The Shifting Paradymes. I'm been hearing a lot of good things about you, and we just loved the demo you sent us. I thought there was supposed to be four of you, though..."

"Yeah, Gunnar couldn't make it. Oh, and this is Zoe, and that's Ripp."




"Nice to meet you. Let's get talking about these shows, shall we?"

They discussed the upcoming shows, and continued to chat in more details about the bands. Several hours passed, until finally, a woman showed up to interrupt them.




"Hey Edie, are you forgetting something?"

"Oh, crap, Val! I totally lost track of time! He's going to be waiting on the doorstep like a sad little boy..." She got up from the table. "Are you coming now too, Cammy? Or are you going somewhere else first?"

"No, I'll come with."




The girls all headed off in their separate directions, leaving the Shifting Paradymes to discuss the situation. "Well, I think that went rather well." Zoe smiled.

"Yeah, it's fucking sweet." Jaxy beamed. "Opening for such an awesome band. I'm pumped."

"The girls were nice too."

"Yeah, they're super fucking cool."

"The drummer was fucking hot." Ripp grinned. "She seems familiar to me, somehow..."




"Ripp, honey, she's gay."

"What?! Her?"

"Uh huh... gay all over. Her girlfriend's a lesbian too." Jaxy and Zoe started laughing violently at Ripp's expense.

"She was flirting with me."




"Ripp you think that EVERYONE is fucking flirting with you! She was just being friendly. It's not a fucking ticket to jump into bed with her."

"Well, that's how it usually works..."

"Ripp, no..." Zoe laughed. You probably launch into your routine after you think they're flirting with you, and then they see that you're flirting with THEM. It just so happens that they end up being interested after you bring it up."

"They flirt with me, dammit! I'm not some fucking sexual predator, like you're making it sound."

"Maybe not a predator as much as a fucking scavenger. You swoop in to collect, whenever you see an opportunity. Anything will do."




"You're both fucking assholes. Like you're any better..."

"Oh, did I hurt your feelings, Ripp?" Jaxy laughed.

"No." He sulked.

"Go home and fucking cry about it, honey."




"That's funny. It's not like her to do this. She's usually here when she says she will be. She's pretty punctual."

A voice called out from behind him. "Who is that that handsome fellow waiting by my doorstep?"






"Frances!" She pretended to be surprised. "It's been way too long!"






"Sorry I'm late." She said. "You'll stay for dinner, right? We're ordering Chinese."

"Sure. That's sounds fine. You don't mind, do you, Tank?"

"Not at all."






"So Frances has mentioned me, right? I'm sure he has. Or he's mentioned his abundance of sisters, anyway, I'm sure." Edie said. Tank nodded.

"So, which sister are you?" Tank ventured.




"Edie's the middle girl." Frances said.

"Yeah, the troublemaker." Val laughed. "You know - the middle child. Always looking for attention."

"Heh. Yeah. It's like my brother, Ripp."

"Ripp?!"




"Yeah, I know - we have weird names."

"No, it's just - I just met your brother! I met him today. What an odd coincidence. Ripp Grunt, right?"

"How..." Tank was dumbfounded. His brother didn't get around THAT much, did he? Then he clued in. "Oh. Are you in the band that was meeting with his band today?"

"Yeah, I'm the drummer. Cammy, here, is the guitarist, so you're looking at most of the band right now."

"So, how did it go?" Tank asked.




"Oh, quite well. We really like their band. They're quite talented." Edie said. "Didn't you think so, Cammy?"

"Oh, definitely. And they're also very... interesting." She laughed

"Yeah, they're pretty funny characters." Edie smiled. "But that's good. They have personality. Probably good stage presence too."

"They'll draw in the college crowd too." Val added, from the other side of the couch.

"Exactly."




Edie looked at Tank more closely.

"You don't really look like him, do you? But there's something... maybe around the eyes? You both have those pretty blue eyes."

Frances tried not to sigh audibly.




Tank didn't saying anything. He just smiled. His mother's blue eyes.




While Tank was lost in thought, Frances used the opportunity to glance over at him. It wasn't just the eyes. It was everything. All of his features. His skin. His stance. The sound of his voice, so calm and meek. Everything about Tank Grunt was something that Frances admired and wanted, one way or another.

He was beautiful.




Tank went upstairs to use the bathroom. He had wanted to wash his hands anyway, since his clumsy chopstick handling had left him with no choice but to involve his fingers a couple of times.




"So, tell me, Frances. Is Tank a 'roommate', like Val, or just an actual roommate?"

"Just a roommate."

"Oh really... But you obviously have the raging bolt for him, right?" Frances jumped a little, but tried to play it off as if he was cool.

"Whatever do you mean?"

"You're as transparent as glass to me, Frances. You're my little brother. I can see you mentally undressing him a mile away."




"I'm not THAT obvious, am I?"

"Well, not to him, it seems. But to me, you are." Frances seemed slightly relieved.

"Okay. Yes. Obviously. I like him."

"Look, he's a nice guy, and I can see that he's totally your type. The strong, silent type. Clean-cut and handsome. Straight as a ruler."




"You think?!"

"Oh, Frances. He's straight, dear." Frances frowned.

"Really? I don't know about that..."




"You never developed gaydar, did you? You poor thing. You have to get over your straight boy obsession. Go to a gay club, or something. Look around."

"That's so contrived, Edie. And I'm not one for that whole 'scene' anyway."

"I know you're not. But still..." She sighed.




"You're just setting yourself up for heartbreak, Frances. You know it. Please don't turn into the sort of bitter old man that never even had a date because he spent his life chasing straight boys."

"You made that up."

"Look into it."

"Anyway, I have had a date, for your information."




"Oh, right. Summer camp. If Daddy only knew what he was paying for with those, he'd have sent us to that other kind of camp, where they 'convert' you." They shared a little laugh.

"I'm sure he would have."

"And I would have had no trouble finding a girlfriend at one of those either, I'm sure."




"I had it easy. Nobody suspects that the girl sleeping over with their daughter is doing anything other than sleeping. It's more accepted that girls will be close. It was a lot harder for you, Frances. It still is."

"No kidding."

"And I never had to worry about inheriting a simoleon more than my 'fair' share as a daughter." She smiled, kindly. "I don't envy you at all."

"If only Lillian felt the same way..."




"Lillian will have no trouble making her own fortune, I'm sure. If the number of people you're willing to destroy to get there is a factor, she's set. She's also dating a successful athlete now. You know that she's happier than a pig in shit."

"I can imagine." He quite enjoyed the image of his oldest sister sitting in piles of excrement, in fact.

Tank quietly descended the stairs and entered the room. He looked so attractive to Frances, when he glanced over at him, that he wanted to die. Was he really just straight, like Edie said? Maybe Frances was kidding himself. Would it have taken him so long to figure it out if he really was gay? Even a tiny, tiny bit queer?

But there was the father thing. There was that. And those things Tank said, and the way he had said them. Was he just hearing what he wanted to hear?




Edie looked at him and smiled. She could obviously read his mind, at least on some level, because she shook her head and sighed.

"I'm just concerned about you, Frances."

"I know."

"You look after yourself, now, okay?"

"Yes, of course, Edie."




"Drop in to see me anytime."






Circe stepped out onto her veranda and felt the cooling night air. It felt good to leave the Beaker place behind. Now she could just move on.

Where would she go from here? She knew that the baby would be coming soon. Very soon.




She had buried Loki's remains in the courtyard. She could have left him on his family property, and maybe he would have wanted it that way, but she couldn't bear to leave him behind. Even dead, she wanted him near her. Loki. Her lover. Her great, brilliant Loki.




It wasn't often that anyone would catch Circe Beaker crying, and maybe she wouldn't have even been doing it if anyone had been around, but this was the one person that she had really cared about. The lives and deaths of everyone else were meaningless to her.

Loki had been all that mattered to her.




"Loki, my love." She spoke to the stone marker. "What will I do now?" There was no answer, and she didn't expect one, but she kept talking.

"I have taken care of your creations. Your sister, bless her soul, agreed to take them into her care, after some persuasion. She will do as she's told, my love. Your dear, beloved sister." She sighed. "One day, I will find someone to carry on your work. Someone will show some promise, my darling, and when I find that person, I will insure that they cooperate. They will carry on your work." She paused.

"Also..."






"I will see to it that your death is avenged. One way or another, my love. Your enemies will pay dearly."




Tank was working on an assignment, while Frances tidied up things at his dresser.

"I think I hear something downstairs..." Tank said.

"That's weird."




"You don't think it might be someone in the house?"

"Like a burglar?" Frances gasped.

"I'll go check it out..." Tank got up, went down the stairs, and then stopped dead in his tracks.




"What the fuck?!"

Ripp was sitting in the living room, playing SSX. "Ripp! What the hell are you doing here?"




"What the fuck does it look like I'm doing?! I'm beating your high score." Tank sighed.

"Okay, but why are you even in my house?"

"I'm pretty sure this is Worthington's house, Tank, and I was just next door, so I thought I'd drop in."




"You could have called."

"You're my fucking brother, Tank! Why would I need to call?"

"Well, it might be nice to at least let someone know that you're here before you just settle in to play video games."






"Okay, I won't play it, then."

"No, not on the floor!"

"Well, where else am I going to fucking put it?! Up my ass?"

"Put it away! Over there, next to the console, where it belongs!" Ripp did not do that, and instead walked over to Tank.




"It's good to see you, Tank."

"What the fuck are you on, Ripp?" Tank didn't even realize how accurately his chosen expression hit the nail on the head.

"What do you mean?" Ripp laughed, giddily. Like he would give Tank a catalogue of what he had been using to alter his mind. It was just a little bubble blowing, anyway. Like it had that much of an effect.

"I'm just fucking happy to see you! Fuck, Tank. What's your fucking problem?"




Tank was touched, though still somewhat confused by Ripp's actions. "Well, okay. It's nice to see you too. It was just a little strange, that's all."

"Well, you said not to be a fucking stranger, so that's what I'm doing."

"Okay... I just -"

"You're just being a dick about it."




Tank didn't really know what to say. He had always wished that Ripp would treat him like an equal, and here he was, but the reality of that was a lot more annoying than he'd imagined it would be.

"Where the fuck do you keep the gold-plated toilet in this palace? I need to take a piss."

"Upstairs." Tank groaned. "Top of the stairs, on the left. It's the first thing you see."

"Thanks, bro."

Ripp stomped his way up the stairs. And Tank soon found himself in the middle of his second actual conversation with Ripp in one day.




"And so, we're playing at the party tomorrow night."

"At the sorority?"

"Yeah... Hey, you should come!"




"Well, I have an assignment to work on."

"Oh, right... you're doing school work on Saturday night. Of course. And here I was, thinking it was supposed to be a night to go out, or something. Oh, Fuck off, Tank!"

"But it's due on -"

"You're such a loser."




"No, I'm not. I am not a loser, Ripp."

"You never go out. You never see anyone. I would call that a fucking loser, Tank! You need to get out more."




"Look, I get out plenty."

"The army base doesn't count, Tank. And who have you fucking seen besides Frances in the past week? Honestly?"

"We'll there are some people in my study group that I see."




"A study group?!" He smirked. "That's so exciting."

"Well, no. I guess it isn't exciting... but I'm busy, Ripp."

"You need to fucking get out more, Tank." Tank kept sputtering. "Desperately."




"I know..." He said. "What you really need to do, clearly, is get fucking laid."

"What?!" Tank said, through his teeth. His body went ice cold. It was like a nightmare.

"Seriously... when was the last time you fucked anyone?"

Tank said nothing.




"Nooooooo... WHAT?!"




"I'm not having this discussion with you."




"You NEVER have?!"

"I didn't say that! I just don't want to talk about this with you!"

"You're a fucking VIRGIN, Tank?" Ripp couldn't believe it. Johnny was one thing, but his own brother too? Johnny, at least, had the alien heritage bullshit to back him up. Still pretty fucking lame, but he had a reason, anyway. What was Tank's excuse? That just reflected badly on the Grunt family name.

"Please tell me you've at least gotten your hands a little dirty, or something..."




"Yeah, sure." He lied. "I've done plenty..."

"God, I hope so." Frances walked into the conversation, somewhat reluctantly, once he realized what it was about.

"Hey Frank! Did you realize that you were living with such a rare specimen?" He added. "I can call you Frank, right? No offense, but Frances sounds a bit fancy for me. Just seems a little... you know, queer."




Frances coughed when he said the last word.. "Yes, that's fine, Ripp. Frank is fine."

"Hey - Frank and Tank! You two make a great pair!" Ripp let out a fit of giggles, then continued. "I'll bet Frank over here gets around. You're a real lady killer, aren't you, Frank?"

Frances just smiled, nervously.

"See... he obviously is. So what's your fucking problem, Tank?"

"Errr..."

"Well, now you really have to go to the party. I'm fucking making you go. If you can't get any sweet, sweet action at a sorority party, then you may as well just give up. It's the perfect opportunity for a hopeless cause like you."




"Shut up, Ripp. I'm not a hopeless cause."

"Well, you clearly need some help, Tank. You have to fucking agree with me there. I can help scope out the situation for you, if you want, but don't be getting with any of the same girls I have, okay? That would just be fucking weird." Tank wondered how many options that could possibly leave him with.

"I really doubt we have the same taste in women, Ripp." Definitely not, Ripp thought. He wouldn't exactly be introducing his brother to Stella anytime soon.

"Yeah. No doubt."




"Well, I'd better take off before Johnny and Phi send a fucking search party out looking for me." He said. "Make sure you're at the party, Tank. Or I'm going to come over here to get you."

"Okay, Ripp."

Tank saw him to the door, and after it closed behind him, he stood there, stunned. How random. Not that he could complain. It was exactly what he wanted, wasn't it? A chance to actually spend time with Ripp and his friends? It was both exciting and terrifying at the same time.




"So, are you really going to go to the sorority party?"

"Yeah, why not? I guess so, Worthington." Tank smiled. "I hardly ever hang out with Ripp."

"Are you planning to take him up on that offer?" Frances ventured, a little reluctantly.

"Heh." Tank said. "I doubt it. I'm not exactly like that." He could never sleep with someone he'd just met, like Ripp did.

Frances considered what he said, and how he might interpret it.

"Are you planning to go too?" Tank asked.




"To the sorority?" Frances arched a brow. "I don't know... It sounds pretty unbearable."

"Well, you'll never know unless you check it out for yourself."

"No." Frances agreed. "You're right. It's always a good idea to give something a chance before you decide."

"I'd feel a lot better about it if I had a friend to go with." Tank said it casually, and left the room to get a snack.




A friend. Frances smiled.

The party didn't really sound so bad, afterall.







  (Continue to Chapter 22 (part 1)...)



 

Comments

[music-simbol.livejournal.com]

FIRST COMMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(brb)

[autodestrucci0n.livejournal.com]

buck and jill!! <3

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

They're cute together, aren't they? :)

[madame-ugly.livejournal.com]

Nervous looks good in that hair. Though I do want his mohawk back. And there's the puppy! Yeah for puppies. And yeah for my sweet, sweet Pascal. That's right, big boy, take control of that situation. Then grab Nervous and plant a big sloppy kiss right on him. . .ooh, sorry, I'm thinking about MY Pascal.

Oh, you owe me a new lung. Yes, a LUNG. Here I am, ailing with a cold and you go and put that Little House on the Prairie underwear outfit on Jax and I swear I coughed out a lung. You can just mail it to me, thanks.

*coughs some germs on Circe and her devil spawn* Yeah, bitch, I hope you cough out a lung too. And you're going to find someone smart like your E-vil Loki so you can continue your reign? Don't even THINK about looking Curious-ward, twat. I mean it, I will cut you.

Poor Tank, the big V. So reminds me of my Lazlo. At least my Lazlo's had some alien action (so people think he's been buggered). I'm sure Frances would love to suck the pit out of that cherry.

Excellent dialogue throughout. It's nice to see Ripp out with someone other than Johnny and Ophelia. (oh, and the "It might burst open at any second." gave me a coughing fit, too--that might have been what loosened my lung so it could fling out when I saw that outfit--random vajayjay's just cropping up--attack of the -gina! Night of the living -gina! So many vagina jokes, so little time!)

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

I like that hair on him, but I also needed the shortest possible hair, since it is only just growing out, and something not too styled looking either. That was pretty much my only option. I do really like that hair, though. As for the mohawk... you do need to grow your hair out a bit longer to pull that off, so patience, my friend, patience...

The puppy is safe and happy again with Nervous. (And how long does it take those things to grow up, anyway?! It seems like ages.)

Yes, Pascal takes charge. He's a no-nonsense kind of guy. Good at cleaning up the courtyard too. He just loves it! ("Yes!!! I get to mop up all these puddles! Sweet...") And yeah, it is your Pascal... this one's not quite that aggressive.

Oooh, a whole lung? That had to hurt. I'll get that sent out to you right away. *snicker* I had way too much fun with that frivolous scene, but it really helped me get into this chapter. And it gave a couple of character details, so it wasn't completely pointless.

Do you think your weak little germs will stop Circe? Heheh... no way.

Yeah, poor Tank. Especially with Ripp in his face about it. Frances is always available to help him out, for sure. Not that Tank knows that. This should be a fun party...

Thanks. It was a lot of fun to write the conversations. I really like the dynamic of the band, and how harsh they are to each other. It's fun to write them.

Burst open at any second... yes, it's a funny image. *snicker* Ripp has an overactive imagination.

[spud14.livejournal.com]

Oh, poor Tank, I love him.

Also, LOL AT FRANCES' VANITY.

I don't really have any big observations, but I loved it! I can't wait for Circe to have the baby!

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Yeah, poor Tank gets picked on a lot, but he can dish it out too occasionally... so it's okay. He's so adorably clueless, though.

Well, every refined gentleman has a vanity! Come on! ;)

Thank you. We'll get the baby out of there soon, I promise (or my timeline will quickly be thrown off).

[music-simbol.livejournal.com]

You have no idea how many times I actually clapped out of excitement! Pretty much every time Frances was shown, I was grinning from ear to ear! I'm still smiling like a maniac!

I forget how adorable Pascal is. No wonder madame_ugly goes crazy over him. It's nice to see that Nervous is getting better, though he'll have to deal with all the memories at some point, and lord knows that'll be like walking thru a mine field. At least the puppy is still alive! Does it have a name? And that cemetery? Just how many bodies will be found in there? Do I even want to know?

Ugh, I'm glad Loki's gone, but with Circe still around, there's a bitch trying to fuck people's shit up. If she wasn't pregnant, I'd be sending the wave of flies to kill her ass. *shakes fist* Revenge? Oh great. No doubt she'll go after Nervous. It wasn't him! It was his mother! She's already dead, so leave him alone!!!! Like she'd listen to my pleas. You're the one who kept Nervous trapped and experimented on him!!! BITCH!!

Oh Jill, what are you doing? It's the teenage condition to want to experiment and have fun, but is toying with Buck's emotions a good thing? He's already told her he was in love with her. If she doesn't feel the same, this little friends with benefits thing isn't going to work for too long. Especially, if Jill keeps on fantasizing about Ripp. Even if Ripp wanted to be more serious with her, could she do it, knowing it would mean literally taking Buck's heart and throwing it in front of large marching band?

Ripp's dick is only 3 inches long, tee hee hee. Somethings tells me you really enjoyed shooting that scene. Especially the butt shot. It's cool to see sims in an outside environment besides just what we're used to. I have no idea if those lots were downloaded or you made, but they're really nice.

Frances, Frances, Frances, what are we going to do with you? At least Tank considers him a friend, but it's not safe to deeply long for something that you may never be able to have. Of course, you know I want him to eventually get it, but if he doesn't, he needs to be able to accept that. It's good that Edie is someone he can go to for support. Thou, I don't think anyone has perfect gaydar. I don't care what they say, you can't always tell. What would their father think? Two of his kids are gay! HA!

When you think about it, Tank being a virgin isn't that surprising. It's not like he ever got really close to anyone let alone a girlfriend. He only just called Frances his friend, and look at how long that took. Of course, he'd be embarrassed to admit that to his younger brother who has probably visited every house and dorm on campus.

So, is this party going to be in the next update? I'm very anxious about it. Not only do we finally have the meeting of Jayne and Ophelia, but will Ripp actually try to get Tank laid? I assume there will be lots of alcohol, so how will this affect everything? Will Frances do anything he may regret? Will he see something he wished he didn't? Oh, the chaotic possibilities!!!!!

(btw this pic cracked me up! it's perfect for what Ripp was saying! LOL)

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

I knew you'd enjoy the Frances-heaviness of this chapter. Getting to see a member of his family, and more information on his past, and such. I'm excited to get to develop him a bit more too.

It will be a long recovery for Nervous, but Pascal will help him. The puppy is named Wheezy. I don't think that they will be examining the graves in so much detail when they move them. They aren't eager to tamper with it.

Circe can't go after Nervous himself. That was the deal she made with Death. She'll be taken if she does. But there might be other people that could be a substitute for Olive in her mind. And she'd love to get Nervous too, so maybe she'll work around her limitations. And also, her reference to Loki's enemies includes Pascal, doesn't it? Circe doesn't hear your pleas. She doesn't show mercy.

Well, Jill isn't going to just forget about Ripp instantly, like a thought balloon that just pops after she kisses Buck. She's confused about that. It think it's understandable. It's not that she doesn't like Buck. She's just not 100% sure of what they are doing. Her feelings are less developed that his are, since he's had more time to thing them through. It doesn't mean it won't work out. But you're right, she really could stomp on his heart if she isn't careful.

Well, Ripp might have more than three inches, since I'm sure that Zoe was just trying to pick on him, but who knows... I do know that it's very funny to think of him as less than well off in that area, since it doesn't seem to be holding him back any. *snicker* I like taking him down a peg or two, but he did comment that he thinks he's done pretty well for himself in that area, so I'm sure he's at least average.

Yeah, the butt shot was funny, especially since that mesh really did give him a bit of booty (instantly disqualifying it for actual use, in my opinion - it didn't look like a guy's ass to me). Ripp looked good in the more fitted shirt, but I can't really imagine him in it. Not with the character he has here.

Those lots are all downloads, which I redecorated (Edie's apartment, in particular, was very re-worked to suit my tastes for the character). That's how I usually operate, though I have done some building before too. I like finding urban apartment-style buildings, since the game doesn't provide any. I have listed the ones I've used so far on my user info page, and I'll add these to the list too. The Hortense and Mortimer (aka H&M - heheh) store came with that stuff pack. It's the H&M Sim City lot, which works perfectly here, as that is how I identify the downtown area anyway.

Edie is right to worry about Frances, isn't she? He might be setting himself up for heartbreak, but there isn't much he can do about it. It was basically love at first sight. You're right. There's nothing to say that Edie has pitch perfect gaydar either. We'll have to wait and see. And yeah, two of the Worthington kids are gay. Daddy would not be pleased, but he probably doesn't care about Edie as much. She still wouldn't tell him, and she prefers to keep as far away from her mess of a home as possible.

I don't think it's surprising that Tank would be a virgin at all. Who exactly would he have slept with? He's pretty shy, and he really hasn't even dated anyone at this point. But that is definitely not something he wants Ripp to know. It's just one more thing to add to the list of reasons why they are complete opposites.

[soma910.livejournal.com]

The pictures of Buck and Jill in the hot tub are so tender and sweet. They both had really good expressions. The band is hilarious. Can't wait to find out what goes on with Frances and Tank!

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

They are rather cute there, aren't they? I think that Buck especially looks very nice in them. Like he really does love her.

Heheh. Thanks. I have a lot of fun with the band.

Oh, there will be plenty of things going on at the party, for everyone involved. Lots of things in store for Tank and Frances too.

[cindyanne1.livejournal.com]

Okay you know I have to be loving this story because I'm using precious time where my hubby has taken my older three kids to their 4-H meeting and my younger three are ALL sleeping and the house is relatively clean and I *could* be playing my own game actually baby-free but I saw you had updated and had to read... even though reading is something I can do while feeding the baby, lol!

So you know I'm hooked!

But memo to self... never take a drink of coffee right before reading anything Ripp has said in this story! Oh my, I thought I was going to choke!! The whole shopping expedition with Zoe and Jax... I don't think I've laughed so hard in quite some time!

Aw, and Frances! I just love him. I really do want him to get what he's after. And am I alone in wanting Ripp to totally have a long conversation with Johnny about his intimate workings? Just a conversation, of course. (wink)

And I agree... Circe better not be looking Curious-ward. (shakes fist in air) Not that I think Vid would do it, but you never know... surely he wouldn't want to be any part of raising Loki's child but you never know that either. After all the baby might not be anything like either one of his or her parents. Aack! Circe, just go off somewhere and die! LOL... oh wait, I'm thinking of my game...

Loved the update!

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Wow. Thank you. Wasting your precious alone time on my story? That's dedication. :) I hope that it was worth it.

Nice to hear that it was a coffee-spitting good time, but try not to waste your coffee (we NEED that caffeine). *chuckle* I love writing Ripp, for a variety of reasons (really? Hello, obvious), but his dialogue and sometimes erratic behaviour is at the top of the list. Extreme characters are just more fun to write. Hands down. And Jaxy is even worse, so the scenes with them together are super fun to do. And what's better than a silly scene with them all trying on clothes? It was the first thing I did for this chapter, I was so excited about it.

It's easy to root for Frances, isn't it? He's so sweet about it all. And he really seems to care about Tank, even though he doesn't really know him all that well yet.

No, I am pretty sure that Pixel wants to see Johnny and Ripp have a little heart to heart about that too (and maybe a little "something" to "something" too *snort*). Maybe he will bring it up, eventually. But how exactly does one bring that up in conversation? "So, by the way, Johnny... about your genitals..."

It's something to think about, isn't it? How involved would Vidcund become with Circe? She was his best friend for a long time. It would be like if something came between Johnny, Ripp, and Ophelia, and then years later, one of them came reaching out to the other(s). Would they be able to turn them away? *consults crystal ball to check* No, they would not.

Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[sims-gone.livejournal.com]

"It's like a fucking member of the band!" LOL! I liked this chapter. Very lighthearted and fun, with enough hints of drama to come to keep it intriguing.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

It's a "member" of the band. Teehee. I'm happy to see that you liked that line. She's the second person to complain about how often Ripp directs the topic of conversation to his crotch, isn't she?

Thanks. It fun to do the more lighthearted things, and yes, there are hints of dramas to come, so it will be fun.

[zepheera.livejournal.com]

Yay for update!

Oh, it is so not a good idea to read this story when you have the flu, I think I hurt myself from laughing to hard. Please put me on the list for a new lung or I'll have to intercept Madame's.

I love Edie, she's so cute. She obviously cares about her little brother. And Ripp is suck a good brother, trying to make sure Tank pops his cherry. What could be more helpful than that?

*wantsmorenow!!!!*

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

New lungs for all! *snort* Thanks.

Edie seems to be getting a good reception, and I'm really happy, because I do like her character. She's a good support system for Frances, and she has gone through some of the same issues herself.

Ripp really does think that this would be the most helpful thing he could possibly do for Tank. It's what he would want, so why not? (That is Ripp's favourite type of logic.) Maybe he's right, at least about helping him to meet someone... not so much the random hook up.

I'm guessing that I will have another update before the end of the week. if all goes well. I'll have to do the party in one shot (or most of it, anyway), for continuity's sake, so that should come together quickly.

[indigoleo.livejournal.com]

Great update as usual.

Buck and Jill should have been in Chemistry class, but they were in the hot tub instead. At Buck's house.
LOL! I don't know, it kinda looks like chemistry class to me! It's just not the one they usually teach in high school. ;)

He didn't want to meddle with the dead. He did that enough as it was.
Oh really now? That's interesting. So Nervous can do something more then just sense when others die around him? Unless you're referring to something I missed.

I have to say whatever drugs Ripp is indulging in he needs to seriously cut back. Waayy back! He's getting a little trippy there what with staring at the flowers and then just showing up at Tanks to play video games no less.
The whole dialog with the girls messing with him and calling him a sexual predator, just great! LOL! It's interesting that he sees any interaction as them flirting with him. Oh, and him telling Tank he can point him out some girls that He himself hasn't slept with? There are still some out there? I got the feeling he was working his way through collage One girl at a time! Oh, Ripp. Sometimes I don't know about you.
Poor Tank. His secrets out. Well, one of them, anyway. If I were Tank I wouldn't want to have that discussion with Ripp either! Good lord no! If Ripp tells all he knows (or thinks he knows) to Tank Tank's going to be running in the other direction yelling, "TMI, TMI!" Tank and Frances going to a sorority party? That could prove to be very, very interesting in so many ways. I can't wait to see that!

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's chemistry class. Also biology class. *snicker* Maybe a few other topics too...

Well, I mostly meant that Nervous can see into the dealings of the dead, and make predictions, and not so much interact with them. Meddle might have been the wrong word (but it can just mean being involved as well as interfering, I think). It does sound like I meant more by that, doesn't it? Well, maybe. I haven't fully worked out the extent of Nervous Subject's powers, so we may get more as he discovers it. I don't intend for him to have any real physical power, as such, but the insight that he does have can be very useful. And he always does have his father to call in for a favour, doesn't he? (Not that he's willing to do what it takes to call him up.)

Yeah, Ripp gets a little high sometimes. *snicker* And a LOT high at other times. It's really nothing too serious. Just some spacing out and a couple of laughing fits. The video game thing made me laugh (and he really does show up at Tank's place sometimes, now that their relationship is higher) - it seems like such a typical thing to do. He probably meant to go see Tank right away, but got side-tracked. He wasn't actually high when he did the flower thing (residual burnout - maybe). He was just contemplating the similarities between the parts of the flower and Stella's parts.

The girls give him a hard time, but they're right about how willing he is to interpret other people as flirting with him, and then he jumps right on it. They probably really are flirting with him most of the time, anyway. He has a reputation.

There really aren't many girls that Ripp hasn't slept with, but they're out there. I'm sure he really doesn't care too much if Tank take his cast-offs, anyway. He was just babbling when he said that. The question is, does Tank really need the kind of advice that Ripp can give him? Too much information, indeed.

Frances doesn't go to many sorority parties, as you can imagine. But there will be be guys there too. No doubt.

[imsothenetgirl.livejournal.com]

Update! Whee!

So, thoughts:

* Have we seen Val before? She's not one of the Worthington sisters, is she? I thought I remembered them all having dark hair but I started doubting myself part of the way through the story.

* This chapter made me laugh so hard. Pretty much any scene with Ripp was hilarious but the bit in the clothing store had me literally laughing out loud. So funny.

* I am really getting into this Tank/Frances storyline. I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out. I don't really have any solid predictions at the moment. I think it could any number of ways and I can't wait to find out.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Val is a new character. She's not a Worthington. She's Edie's girlfriend. Or "roommate", as she is known to her family. *wink, wink* You're right. All of the Worthington's have black hair, aside from their mother.

Heheh. Thanks. I'm glad you got a giggle or two out of it.

There really are a number of ways I could go with Tank and Frances. And I have it worked out up to a turning point, which (as you all can guess) would be when he finally reveals the truth to Tank. Or when Tank figures it out, one way or another. After that... well, I'm leaning one way right now, but that can always change again.

[ndainye.livejournal.com]

What a great chapter, one of the things that always grabs me when I read your stuff is how well you capture just the right facial expression to go with the story. I know that doing so mostly boils down to taking a ton of pictures so that you can pick and choose which ones to use but your picking and choosing is extremely well done.

Lots of hints and clues in this chapter as to what may happen in the future. Lots of build up for potential drama.

I like Edie, I'm glad Frances has her to look out for him. He really is very sweet and vulnerable here and I want him to get what he wants. If he doesn't get it here I may give it to him in my hood, I think both Tank and Frances are gay there, though I think Tank's been eying Tybalt Capp for awhile. In my hood I've got all the play ables extracted and turned into townies for legacy fodder.

The party sounds like it's going to be interesting. I can't wait.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I try my best to get the right expressions, and sometimes that can come from normal interactions, but other times I use the black box or hula mod to create the right reaction (I'm especially liking the hula mod lately, since I can use it on community lots, and it's great for posing). I do take a lot of pictures, but maybe not as many as you may think. I mostly keep pausing and playing until I see a good one, and then I take a picture. I use at least three quarters of the photos I take, so I don't think that's too bad. I'm glad you think that I've picked the right ones.

There might be a little drama in the works. There are a lot of things going on between these characters, so there's always a good bet that some drama will be involved.

Edie is a great gal, and she will look out for her little brother. No doubt about that.

You won't be the only one who's pairing up Tank and Frances in your game. Music Simbol has already paired them up on her own. I'm glad to see so much approval for them as a couple. They do make a good match in the game. And maybe in the story too, if both of them are gay (or at least bisexual).

Yes, it should be a fun party. Or an interesting one, at the very least...

[ikichi.livejournal.com]

Oh, man! Let's see if I can remember everything.

I like how easy it is to remember that Nervous and Pas aren't the same age. I dunno why I'm mentioning, I was just thinking about sim-ages the other night and that stood out for me.

Jill's line of thinking is how babies happen. Just sayin' Jilly. Just 'cause you're not doing Ripp doesn't mean take after him. (It's a sweet scene, but I couldn't stop thinking, "Jilly's get-ting PREG-nant!")

I love Edie like I'm blind. No, I don't know what that means. (And Edie, I have it on good authority that Tank can be open to persuasion... *ahem*)

I can't chide Ripp for coming to Tank high- he probably didn't think he could keep his calm otherwise. But bloody hell, boy! I want to smack you! You're shaking up the hornet's nest that is Francis' legendary PSL, and Tank's extraordinary intimacy issues. You gonna get stung! :D

[pixelcurious.livejournal.com]

PSL? Parts Selection List? Perverse Sexual Lust? Poly-Styrene Latex? I googled it but I'm still confused!

[ricamarcella.livejournal.com]

I haven't been writing comments lately, but I HAVE been keeping up with the story! It's wonderful, as usual. Just gets more addictive with each episode.

The storyline that interests me the most is Strangetown (as opposed to La Fiesta Tech, although that one's fun too). I wonder what will become of Erin and the clones. Was Loki trying to create a super-army of Grim-gened clones for the Strangetown military? I wonder how much Buzz was involved in the project.

I hope Nervous gets better. But it seems his troubles are FAR from over. I don't know if you've worked out yet what Circe has up her sleeve, but it's bound to be horrible. I AM looking forward to the kid, though. If it's twins then you can make one that takes after his/her parents while the other doesn't.

I do wish we could see some more Curious action--i.e. Pascal, Vidcund, Lazlo and Jenny. I've no time on my hands, but if I did I'd write a series about them growing up together.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

I have tried to keep things SOMEWHAT balanced between LFT and Strangetown, but I do have a number of things to get through before those kids graduate, and the action progresses much slower in Strangetown. I'll also be completely honest in my preference for those characters, which I assume is obvious anyway. I try to keep it relatively balanced, though, since I know that you're not the only one that prefers the Curious family. And I am trying to involve them all.

We'll see Erin and the clones soon. And what were they for? Will we ever know? Or is it a secret between Circe and Loki's lost documentation. Circe wasn't fully up on all the details either. But why would someone be interested in Death's genetics? All food for thought, since I'm not sharing the details (at least not for a good while).

I will, however, say that the dealings between the military and the Beakers might not even be about the clones directly, and they don't really need to build an army as such. They've been up to other things. Things that Buzz was definitely involved with too.

Circe is a patient woman. She doesn't necessarily have a plan for her revenge yet. But she won't forget. That's true about twins. It could be interesting to see how any kids will deal with the legacy of the Beakers.

I REALLY need to get Lazlo back in this story soon, so you'll see that happen before too long.

I'd love to see a series about the Curious family as children! Madame Ugly did an alternate reality sort of version with her Peculiar story, and they start as children there.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you appreciate the slower pace with their relationship. It's a lot for Nervous to even relate to someone as a friend, with all of his baggage, so I think it makes sense for things to happen slowly there. I know that some people would love to see things happen, and quickly, but that's not how I operate. At least, not when the characters seem to demand it.

I agree. Buck looks so in love there. That's a good observation with the oil tanks and turbines. I like it when I can get those landmarks in the background of shots.

Frances is an interesting sim, I think. He has a lot of potential, and now that I've added a family for him, it helps to make him a more rounded character. We'll get to see the other sisters work their way into the story too. (You're not fond of the university characters? Not even Stella? *gasp* I love Stella. And the Shifting Paradymes. Well, not so much Gunnar. *snicker*)

He thinks that Tank is beautiful. *smile* It's clearly more than just lust with Frances.

Heheh. The party will be fun, for sure.

Oh, I don't mind you asking about the CC at all (and I think I'll eventually add some of these to my CC list on the user info page). Edie's hair is from the Sim Artists Union, found here:

http://simsartistsunion.com/

Who am I to deny someone the pleasure of having a femullet in their game? I just love that hair. :D

[pixelcurious.livejournal.com]

What a great update. I really enjoyed it, all of it. :)

1. Nervous and Pascal... Nervous being so tentative, like he can't quite believe he's free and can make his own decisions. I'm sure he's ill equipped at this point to do that on his own, so I'm glad he has Pascal's careful assistance.

2. Moving the graveyard is a good idea. I loved the paired shot of the graves, and the possible future of that space, with the big trees. Like how it could look a few years from now. Unless you can have trees that big transplanted -- I suppose it's possible. If so, they can move the cacti somewhere safe, too. Saguaros are protected, you know! In Arizona you need a permit to move them. Though I don't want the cacti to become the new fish, so I'll drop this line of thinking. *wink*

3. Ripp was standing in the living room, staring at the vase of flowers. Flowers, he thought. How fucking weird.

LOL. That whole sequence is funny. And so Ripp. Pondering the possibilities of Johnny's alien biology. Maybe Johnny's was dormant, or something. How did they know for sure? It might burst open at any second. I almost fell off my chair! :D

4. I like how Johnny brings up the dinner party at Jayne's. We all know he's been hiding something, so his very casualness about it says something -- but I don't think Ripp picked up on it. Would Phi have been fooled, I wonder? Wanting to hit the sorority party later is more out of character, and I know Phi will raise an eyebrow at that.

5. "Wait. If this is a big alien dinner party, does that mean I have to eat some weird birdseed or fucking lawn clippings?"

Nice, Ripp. Real nice! I want to take him to the veg restaurant in my town. They have these seitan tenderloins that are fucking amazing. Even a hardened carnivore like Ripp would like them.

6. Ripp "sort of" learned to boil eggs? *snicker* I shouldn't laugh, the last time I made eggs I let them boil dry and they exploded like little bombs.

7. And Ripp didn't mention Stella to Johnny, but he usually does detail his conquests? Very interesting detail! Though I suppose that might have something to do with his current fascination with what Johnny might or might not have in his pants. (Also an interesting detail.... hmm, the paths my mind walks down...)

8. Buck and Jill. Very sweet. Jill's inner conflict is realistic. Personally I don't think she's going to break Buck's heart, but time will tell.

9. Wow, I hope Gunnar isn't going to fuck things up for the Shifting Paradigms working with Llama Dance Party. Issues with the chick band, eh? I hope it's not because they're chicks. *scowls at him*

10. Hortense & Mortimer *snerk* That was an amusing sequence. I love dress-up, and it was fun to see them interact. Good for filling out the girls' characters. Or filling out the bodices on some of those outfits *snerk again* I love that red-cross outfit, it's so hilariously skanky. I have it on Meadow Thayer right now in Kowabunga. She actually got married in it.

The jumpsuit with the boots is one of the big FAILS of the H&M stuff pack, isn't it? Though again, it's nice to have a hilarious outfit to put on sims for laughs. It might come up in transitions, too.

Ripp in the tight pants... dang, that's more than even I want to see. I like baggy pants on a guy. I worry about their bits getting mashed in those skinny jeans (I see them on campus sometimes and it hurts to look at).

11. She had already confessed to him, in a moment of drunken weakness, that she really did worry that Zoe might be nothing more than a dabbler. Someone who played around with their sexuality in college, only to later settle down into a traditional, and very heterosexual, relationship.

I know that's a real fear of lesbians dating bisexual women. But I have my own take on it from the other side... oh well, this isn't the place for it. But I'm glad you included this, it's an insight into Zoe and Jaxy.

[pixelcurious.livejournal.com]

I had to make this two comments! :O

12. Love the Llama band! And the introduction to Edie. She's great. The conversation at Edie and Val's apartment was nice, how you led into Tank finding out they had already met Ripp. It's so cool to see him start to appreciate his brother.

I also really like the way you've decorated Edie and Val's. It's both funky and feminine.

13. Poor Frances. And Tank, so clueless. ^_^ I don't want to jump on the Tank/Frances bandwagon (Tank reads as straight to me, too) but I feel for Frances. I hope he finds his happiness. No matter how it ends up, though, it's going to be very interesting when Tank realizes that Frances is gay...

14. Circe... *cold shivers* Oooo. She's creepy. (But I like the looks of her house!)

15. And then we come to Ripp just walking into Tank and Frances' place. Did he actually do that, just walk in uninvited? I've had sims that did that, before. Especially if they're family, but not always even that.

He was so obviously high, though *laughs* Poor Tank! He had always wished that Ripp would treat him like an equal, and here he was, but the reality of that was a lot more annoying than he'd imagined it would be.

Yeah, I can see that! Especially once Ripp started teasing him about being a virgin (which, for the record, I can totally see -- he is so shy, and I think he would have to be really committed to a sim before going to bed with them).

And Ripp, my friend, that is so very not cool of you to tease Frances like that. In fact it's more than a little mean. I really thought better of you than that. *tsk tsk*

16. Oh God, I've gotten up to 16? This is the last, anyway. Definitely looking forward to this party... there's going to be so many sides to it. The Phi/Johnny/Jayne angle, the Tank/Frances angle, any angle that involves Ripp, possibly some fireworks from Jaxy and Zoe... (I'm wondering if the open relationship thing will be an issue with them)... it's sure to be very interesting!

[80sfiend.livejournal.com]

Awwww! The ending is so adorable. :D Frances is so cute, I just want to hug him. :)

Also, great update!! I was so excited to see you posted!! :D I don't know how you manage to update so often, but I am NOT complaining. :D

Ripp and his bandmates are so great together, I love seeing them interact. :) The clothing store scene was amusing.

And meeting Frances' sister was great too, good to see that he's got support. And I like how you're developing the whole crush thing, it'll be interesting to see how Tank reacts whenever he does figure it out.

And Jill and Buck were good too, I'm glad she's still thinking about things. ;) And that she's still got Ripp on her mind too. :D

Ripp and the flowers made me laugh. You can tell he's just dying to ask Johnny about all that lol. So amusing.

Ok it's late so I think that's it, I'm probably forgetting everything I wanted to say, but alas, I'm too tired to make a longer comment :P So again, awesome work! :P

....Jill/Ripp forever....;)

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

He's a cutie, alright! :)

Thanks. I always have the story running in the back of my head, so that helps keep me moving forward. And I want to get to the good stuff.

Glad you think so. I like the band a lot, especially their harsher sense of humour. I like coming up with amusing put downs for them. And any scene where you can try on clothes is a good thing, right?

Just how will Tank react to that? Frances has himself in a very interesting predicament. Maybe he should take his sisters advice. But he doesn't quite believe that Tank is straight. He's still hoping.

Well, Jill wouldn't just forget about Ripp that easily, would she? Nobody gets over something that fast.

Ripp has flowers on the brain in a bad way. He's pretty curious about it all.

Heheh. I heard that.

[franwi.livejournal.com]

Oh man, I can't wait for something eye-opening to happen between "Frank" and Tank! I loved catching up on everything this morning. That chapter with Ripp and Stella was hilarious! And I hope Jill really falls for Buck (his confession was so sweet!) Although I can see her dilemma choosing between the sweet, tender brother and the rough-and-tumble one. Maybe Ripp can give Buck a few pointers on prowess. I just love this stuff so much. All the scenes and pics are great.

I don't know why, but I really adore the pic of Johnny between these lines... "YOU want to go to the sorority party?" Ripp raised an eyebrow. - "Yeah, why not?" I don't know what it is about that expression, it's like he's doing a deadpan face and it made the exchange even funnier.

The impromptu fashion show at H&M was great. I love it when Jaxy's teasing Ripp and getting all the good lines in. ;)

I want Edie's place! That must have come with some expansion, right? The streetfront basment entry and everything is very cool! And I'm still amazed at how you're able to get all these great camera shots inside premade homes. There's usually not a lot of space to work with inside them!

I really want to know who Circe thinks she'll take her revenge on. I have a bad feeling it's the Curious family - and I'm kind of concerned for Vid now, too. She's plotting something. Oh, and I like how Erin's being used by her boyfriend and Circe. Like you said, she's been the "can do no right" type of gal, constantly messing things up and getting fired. It's like she'd rather have others tell her what to do than make her own decisions anymore. I do wonder what her boyfriend thinks of her change of residence, though. I suppose as long as he's still getting what he wants from her, he won't ask too many questions.

You know when Ripp hit the bubble bong with Zoe, it really made me feel sad for him. That routine has really got to be wearing on him, but he doesn't stop to think about it. It's not even recreational anymore, they seem to be using it to function. It makes the whole band seem unstable and fragile. It's quite a contrast to Edie's group, who appeared more responsible and less stoned-out-of-their-gourds. And that might be the difference as to why the girls have established themselves as a "fucking awesome band" and the Paradymes are usually repaid in alcohol and sex, lol. I really like Ripp's group, but I do get the feeling it could all fall apart very easily.

I was afraid Tank was going to walk in on Edie and Frances talking about his sexuality. I seriously have no idea how Tank is going to respond to this, if he ever finds out, which I hope is soon! ;)

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Glad you liked it.

Yeah, it might be a tough call for Jill. Heheh. Well Ripp has aready TOLD Buck a thing or two, so maybe he absorbed it. ;)

I like that face on Johnny too. Just deadpan. Heheh. It really worked with that whole, "I know you think I'm a loser, but.." conversation.

Yeah, Jaxy usually gets the last word in, but Ripp got a few in on her too. They're funny together.

Edie's apartment is a download from MTS2, the #3 Modern Victorian Minilot starter by boingo82. I redecorated it, but I kept the kitchen appliances and the couch. That's about it.

I do a lot of messing around with the in-game camera, and often there really isn't much room to work with, but it's fun to get in there and try to get the shots. They look really good in small rooms sometimes.

Circe has a number of enemies. She not all that fond of her neighbours in general, so she's not going to make life easy for anyone. Erin really has herself sucked into a trap with Circe, but like you said, she's sort of drifting through life anyway.

You think that Ajay is using Erin? How so?

You do have a point about the bubble blower use, but I don't have quite as pessimistic a view of at as you seem to. I compare that to weed, and I don't consider that to be so much of a big deal (within reason). It is their routine, and that's why it's so casual, but I don't think that is where the real trouble with the band may lie (I, for one, think that Gunnar's drinking is a far worse problem).

But you are right in some ways. There is a certain fragility to the band, and they are all trying to cope with certain things. Sometimes they go a bit far with it (and the bubble blower isn't the only thing they do, as seen previously. That's more worrying).

The difference with Edie's band comes with age too. They're an established band, and they're quite a bit older. The Shifting Paradymes are just a campus band right now, so the idea of actually getting paid is still a bit of a novelty to them.

That would have been bad for Frances, but I think they have enough sense to listen for Tank (though he is very quiet). Tank has two extreme sides to his personality, so it's hard to know which one he might react with, and how he might react depends on his feelings about it too. We will find out.

[amaryssobellus.livejournal.com]

Oh geez! Where do I start!?

I was smiling the whole time reading this.

I love the fact that 1. We see Ripp with other people other than Johnny and Ophelia and 2. that we see Ripp and Tank sort of, kind of getting along! I know that it will take time and that they may not be the best of friends but I would like them to get along. :)

Though, I love Ripp he's starting to grate on me much like he grates on Tank. (Not a big fan of lazy sims) But at the same time I just want to wish him well and do well and well... grow up a little. Seriously, I love how you write your sims because it produces such strong reactions/feelings out of me.

Poor, poor little rich boy Francis (just noticed that you where giving him the female version of the name) So hung up on Tank. Me thinks that he's going to have his heart broken at the party. OH, and YAY!! Edie! :) Loved her as much as I thought I would.

That picture of Ripp's face when he's mocking Tanks study group outings is perfect! I love his face in it.

I need to get to bed but I may comment more later. THanks for the great read! (psst, update again soon!)


THE FLOWERS!!! HAHAHAHHAHA!

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Smiles are good. :D

I like seeing those three interact with others outside their circle, since it brings out different sides of their character, which I find interesting. Ripp isn't all that different, no matter who he's with, which says something about Ripp. He doesn't really censor himself like many people do. He is a little more vulgar with the girls in his band, though, since they all like to get on like that.

I think that Ripp and Tank are making very good progress, don't you? Baby steps, but still steps forward. If they can work towards a relationship that has minor irritation as its biggest difficulty, they'll be doing well, since many relatives have to deal with that.

Oh, but lazy sims are so much fun! I just love Ripp and his useless, extreme personality, so I'm a little biased. He can definitely be annoying, and as you can see, he does annoy people with his laziness and his slovenly ways all the time (especially Johnny). They can't all be type A personalities. I like the variety. But we'll also see him mature over time. A little. :P

I didn't give Frances that spelling. Maxis did. (I'm pretty sure, anyway - I'll have to double check now. I'm almost willing to bet my life it's Frances, though.)

There is potential for hearts to break and bind and collide at that party. In a variety of ways. It should be fun.

Edie for the win! I'm glad she lived up to expectations.

Isn't that face just a perfect smirk? I love the faces I get from Ripp sometimes.

Oh, I will try to get this party chapter up soon. I may break it in half to better serve this purpose.

*snicker* Flowers are pretty interesting things, aren't they? ;)

[dothesmustle.livejournal.com]

Frances considered what he said, and how he might interpret it.

Okay. I LOVE FRANCES. I LOVE LOVE LOVE FRANCES. Wow, I'm so happy he's in the picture now, but seriously I have much love for him, not as much as Buck, but second to him, definitely.

This update made me smile so many times. Edie and Frances, I just...love them. I'm sure I've made that clear enough.

Ripp,in the skinny jeans, hahaha. I loved that whole scene.

Oh, and I'm happy Ripp met Edie(when I read about her in the little introduction you made of them I was constantly thinking "RIPP AND EDIE!"), I wanted them together(they'd seem ADORABLE to me) he's already crazy about Stella, though :D

Circe, don't mess with anyone, damn it, you're lucky Nervous is awesome enough to save your supposed-to-be-dead booty!

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Frances is really gaining some fans now, isn't he? I think he's a very interesting fellow, so I'm happy to see that others think so too. And he's just so cute. It will be so much fun to develop him and his extended family.

Those skinny jeans weren't really doing Ripp any favours, were they? *snicker* Any scene where the characters get made over or try on clothes is good in my books.

Ripp did think Edie was pretty hot, but he's out of luck, since she's gay and has a long-time girlfriend. You're right about him being pretty crazy about Stella (because he is), but that also isn't really a serious relationship.

Heheh. Circe does not hear your futile plea.

[abbycat900.livejournal.com]

It was good! I didn't like the very VERY beginning though; "It felt good. Nice and cold, pouring down his throat." for some reason, I just didn't like that line. But other than that, it was great! I like Edie. Well, I like Frances too, but Edie's cool. I don't know why it took me 3 days to read this update....

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

That's the first time I've ever had anyone critique a particular line. It's good to get specific feedback like that. I'm curious to know what exactly it was about it that you don't like. The wording? Or just the image itself? Personally, I like the feeling of ice cold water working it's way down my throat, and I imagine that it would feel very nice after going through a severe withdrawal (not that I know that from experience).

Edie seems to have gone over pretty well. I really like her, so it makes me happy to see that others do too.

Thanks for the feedback!

[smjoshsims.livejournal.com]

Buck and Jill are adorable in their teenage exploration. =)

I love how Edie is gay as well, at least Frances has someone to relate to in his struggles. And Tank and Frank are officially my Strangetown OTP, I don't care what anyone says. PLEASE let Tank be gay, PLEASE?????

[moofable.livejournal.com]

Awww...poor Frances! <3

[foxy-princess.livejournal.com]

This chapter was awwwwwesome!! Ripp never ceases to crack me up! And Buck and Jill are so adorable together! It warms my heart! lol :)

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Thank you. Ripp is fun to write, especially with the band. :) Jill and Buck are almost too cute as a couple. They're three bolters now that I have given them secondary aspirations.

[catladymeow.livejournal.com]

I just love your journals. I have spent the past week reading from the Prolog to here, and am stopping only because I just got Apartment Life in the mail today and have yet to load it. It is 2:18 am how here.
I loaded Strangetown to look over those characters in my game after you inspired me to play them. I loaded the Beaker house and they got this nasty case of bugs, Loki and Circe kept stomping them, then once they had both sprayed the bugs, all three in that household got the flu. I put them all to bed and logged out. Lol, except for poor Nervous, it couldn't have happened to a nicer famiy.
Well, looking forward to the next installment in the series.
Hope the rest is as good as the previous has been. :)