Strangetown, Here We Come: Chapter Thirty-Five - part four

[strangetomato]

Warnings: implied violence, possibly some minor continuity errors, having my way with Maxis canon



Chapter Thirty-Five

Part Four





"Someone has crossed the barrier from our realm to Faerie."
















Samantha Cordial felt it deep in her bones, that familiar quivering. Though faint and imperceptible to most sims, her kind was sensitive to such things.




Across the room, Kimberley peered into her cauldron, stirring the eerie red brew of ancient, unknowable composition. "Yes, there's no mistaking it. That feeling is hard to miss."

"How peculiar," Samantha said. "It's been so long."




"I know," she said. "Not since the day Titania closed it off."

"So what was it? Sim or faerie?"

"Both, actually," Kimberley confirmed. "But not to worry. The faerie is one of Titania's."




"Well, that's a relief. I'm sure she has it all well in hand, then."

"Yes. It's reassuring, and it makes sense. Nobody should be able to enter Faerie unless she wanted them to."




"Did you really suspect the worst?" Samantha asked. "She's been sealed in stone. Locked away for all eternity. I have no doubt that even her ghost is trapped forever behind Titania's enchantment."

"I don't want to question her judgement, but even with Titania's immense power, I was never fond of her decision to seal Jennicor away intact," said Kimberley.

"I know." Samantha remembered that argument all too well. "And I agree with you, dear sister. Far better to destroy that power and break it into parts."




"Titania didn't think so," Kimberley scoffed.

"That's her right," Samantha said, "just as it's ours to ignore it. As it's her right to deal with one of hers as we deal with one of our own. Everything's better when people stay out of each other's business that way."

"Titania can bite my ass for all I care. At least we have some control over when and where those kids are reunited this way."






"You just wanted to blow Jon to bits," Samantha reminded her.

Kimberley laughed, with fond remembrance of that day. "True enough," she said. "Some things are just personal..."




"But we had to do the right thing to safeguard everyone against that source of evil. I'd hate for Jocasta to have died in vain."








"Dear sister, how I miss her..."

"And I as well," Samantha said softly.

"Well, never mind. That's a story for another day."




"Yes," Samantha agreed. "This one's about Bella. The mystery behind her disappearance."

"And Strangetown. Aliens. The sims who hate them and the sims who love them. Or those foolhardy enough to do both!"

"About death. And Death's son. And the terrible consequences of meddling with mortality. Oh, and about flowers. Don't forget flowers."

"I thought it was mostly about sex?" Kimberley laughed.

"No, really it's about identity. And family. And love. Aren't all stories worth telling really about that when it all boils down to it?"

"Yes, but now we're getting ahead of ourselves, aren't we?"

"Yes, indeed, sister. All in good time."




"Right," said Kimberley, turning back to her cauldron. "So we know where they came from, and where they're going."

"Now we wait."












Dina Caliente pressed her lips together and closed her eyes. Her fingers knew the keys without the need to look at them. She allowed the tears to fall; controlled, one by one. She felt herself circling the edge of the maelstrom, but held herself back, knowing that if she allowed herself to enter it, she might not pull herself back out.

He was gone. People could say what they wanted, and Dina knew that they would, but she had loved Mortimer Goth.

She heard the door open behind her. Without looking, she knew it was Nina.




Nina let herself in. Dina didn't look up. She continued to play.

Nina listened for a minute as Dina finished her piece. She hadn't heard it since they were children back in Veronaville. Their father's song. She hadn't realized that Dina had ever learned it.




Dina's hands stopped playing, and she slowly let them fall into her lap.

"He's gone," she said finally.

Nina nodded, though her sister could not see her. "I came as soon as I heard."




Dina stood and welcomed her sister's familiar embrace.




"Thank you," she said.




"Look, I know the thing with Don got out of hand," she continued. "I swear I never intended for it to go this way."




"And what good came of it? Anything?" Nina had not been a fan of the whole business, and she had never hidden this fact well.

Dina smiled the briefest of smiles, and turned to walk towards the bar. "Can I get you a drink?" she asked.

"Yeah, okay." Nina reluctantly accepted. She had never liked visiting the Goth property at night, and she figured the ghosts would be even less welcoming to them now that Mortimer was gone.




"You're asking if it was worth it," Dina said. "It's hard to say. But some good did come of it, yes. Some people got what was coming to them. Some... creatures will now get what's coming to them. That much is certain."

"You mean...?"




Dina nodded. "I hear good things. Circe says that they've been successful. Now it's just a matter of time."




Dina reached the bar, and began to fix them some drinks. "There might soon come a day when our skies are empty again, and we won't have to fear them anymore. Innocent sims won't have their entire lives turned upside down and perverted into something that was never meant to exist in the first place."

Nina flinched at the last line. "And what about us?"

"What about us?" Dina mirrored back at her.

"What do you suppose happens to people like us when that day comes? Will they forgive the one part of us that's been tainted for the three parts that are pure?"




"Hard to say," she mused. "Maybe we'll get what's coming to us too." She poured a nice tall drink. One for herself, and then one for her twin.

"Just like Daddy did," she added.

Nina took the glass that was being offered to her.

"They hate us," she continued. "Don't think for a second that they don't."

"And you think that's right?" Nina asked.




"None of it is right. We shouldn't even exist. What did they think would happen to us? Sims have every right to hate the aliens. I hate them, too. For what they did to us. What they made us."

All was quiet as each sister drank, each considering this grim potential future in their own way.

Dina was the first to break the silence. "Sis, I know you two have a history and you really do care for him, but I wish you'd just leave Don behind."

Nina scoffed. "I can't see how that's going to happen."

Dina sighed and tipped her drink back a little deeper. "I see. Then there's no talking you out of it."




Nina waited, expectantly.

"I know where he's gone."

"What?!"

"Belladonna Cove."

"How?"

"Don't be angry..."




"How, Dina?!"

"It was Circe... He's been helping her."

Nina could barely contain her rage. "I can't believe you kept this—"

"I didn't know, I swear."

"This was NOT what I—"

"Bella is with him."




Nina stopped, Dina's words cutting right to her heart. Events flashed before her eyes and all the pieces fell into place suddenly. She nodded, holding back tears. Holding back the urge to punch her sister in the face, directly involved or not.

"Please, Sis," Dina pleaded. "Just let him go."

Nina shook her head and then continued to the door. The matter wasn't up for discussion. "Thank you for telling me."




"Good luck."

And then she was gone.

Dina would have plenty of time to consider her involvement in this turn of events. She'd be alone there for the rest of the weekend. It was a big, empty house, filled with ghosts both figurative and literal. Now she'd haunt it right along with them.

She finished her drink and headed upstairs, reaching the second floor just in time to hear the phone ringing.




"Hello?"

"Hello, Dina. I just got word of Mortimer's passing. My deepest condolences."

"Thank you."




"Did you get the flowers I sent you?"




"Yes, they were beautiful, thank you. Calla lilies. How exquisite."




"They're quite remarkable. I found them in this quaint little shop in Bluewater Village. I don't think you'll find anything quite like that in Pleasantview."




"You always did know how to cheer me up."

"It's because we're so much alike, my dear. I've always felt that perhaps I should have been your twin instead of Nina. It would have made so much more sense."

"You certainly have more of the Caliente ambition than Nina does," Dina said. "She's so clever, but she lacks direction. It's such a shame. I hate to see her wasting her life away."

"Well, not everyone can be as driven to succeed as we are," Circe said. "I suppose Grandma's spirit really does live on in me, as they all say."

"And so she should. The world lost a great woman the day we put Great Aunt Eurydice in the ground. They don't make women like that anymore."

"Well, we all have to go sometime, don't we?"




"For now, anyway." Circe's smile could be heard over the phone.

"Yes, for now."

"About that..."




"Yes, I've forwarded Mortimer's data to your people, as you requested."

"Excellent. Then the testing can continue. Just as soon as I can find a new scientist. Our last one..."




"... left the position."

"So I've heard," Dina said, missing the full meaning of Circe's words. "It can be so hard to find good staff these days."

"Indeed."




 "Oh, about that. Uncle Tango has informed me that he has a lead on a potential brain for your little project."

"Oh, really?"

"She's very young. Just entering the Académie this fall. Hippolyta Summerdream. She's one of the hybrids, but that shouldn't be a problem. She's from Veronaville, also part faery, and extremely talented. Our sources say she's quite the character. Very morbid. Plans to bring her father back from the dead, they say."

"Interesting. She sounds like our kind of gal."

"Exactly what I was thinking. I'll keep you informed."




"Please do."

"Well, it was good to hear from you, as always."

"Yes. Try not to be a stranger, okay? Us widows ought to stick together."

"Yes, us poor old widows," Dina said. Her tone was light, but she frowned as she thought about the fact that she was now a widow twice over. "Well, you take care now, Circe."

"You too, dear."






She thought once again of Nina's question. Had it all been worth it?

Nina. Now heading to Belladonna Cove after a man that was worth less than the dirt she'd tread on to get there. Someone who didn't deserve her affections. Dina loved her twin dearly, but she'd never understand her taste in men. Don was fun for a night or two, but hardly someone to chase after. She couldn't see that ending well for Nina, but what could she do? She'd have to let her make her own mistakes.




Dina went to run herself a bath, thinking that maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing to be free of men for a while.








"I believe we're in Faerie."

"Faerie?!"  Vidcund said. "You have got to be kidding me!"

"Yes, I understand how crazy that sounds. I wouldn't have believed it either, but then..."

It had all come back to her. Her parents. Her life before Titania and Oberon. Just fragments, but she had remembered.




"I was born here," she said.

"What?!"

Bottom didn't respond, but continued instead to be lost in her thoughts. Had she simply remembered this place or had that been some sort of vision? It had been so vivid.

"Here, let me help you up," Vidcund said. He knelt down and helped Bottom to her feet.




"Thank you," she said.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked. "You seem a little... spaced out."

"No, I'm fine. It's just... I'm remembering. I'm having a little trouble taking this all in."

"You and me both," he said.

"I remembered something else," she said. "There were plants. So many specimens, with different properties, and none of them found in our... realm." She found it difficult to adjust to talking about Faerie as if it were a real place.




"Over there," she said, turning towards a patch of flowers near the edge of a pond. "Those are The Antirrhinums."

She remembered her mother's voice. Those are The Antirrhinums, who smell our intentions. They can do many things, but only when they're well looked after.

"Snapdragons?" Vidcund said. "That's not exactly what I'd call fascinating."

Be nice to them and they'll be nice to you. If not, then you'd better watch out.

"Shhh!" Bottom said. "Maybe not in... well, you know. I think these might be a little different. And I've recently come across some specimens that were quite interesting indeed. I think I'd like to gather some seeds to bring back."

As they observed them, Vidcund was sure he heard something like a whisper coming from the patch of flowers.




There was something not quite safe about them.

These are wild, so they answer only to their own laws. It would be reckless to meddle in their affairs.

"We need to be careful," Bottom warned. "Things work differently here and we know next to nothing about the rules of this place."




They made their way over to the snapdragons and Bottom immediately went to work searching for seeds.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Vidcund said.

"You'll have to trust me."




Vidcund could do that. If he could trust anyone in such circumstances, it would be Bottom. It was her element, he figured, and even if it wasn't, she seemed entirely capable of figuring it out. Vidcund trusted his own knowledge and experience, but this went far beyond anything he'd even encountered, and he figured he'd encountered more than most.

"If we stick to gathering fallen seeds, we should be okay," Bottom said.

"Okay," he said, watching several blossoms as they seemed to follow him slightly as he moved past them. Surely, they weren't watching him. He wasn't about to risk it.

"Here, see? There's plenty. It's almost as if they knew we were coming."

Vidcund wondered if that was truly a good thing, but said nothing.




Back in Veronaville, Puck and Hermia shared an evening meal before retiring for the night.




"And so they're Tybalt's?" Puck asked.

"There's no doubting it," Hermia said. "The girl, she looks so much like him."

"Let's just hope she has a better temperament."

"Yes, please gods." They both laughed. It was nice to have something happy to discuss after the events of the past week, and news of these new additions to Hermia's family line was something truly worth celebrating.




"I've invited Jules over tomorrow, with the children." Hermia said. "She seemed really nice. And the name... it's sort of funny, isn't it?"

"Yes, I'm not really sure what that says about Tybalt."

"Oh be good!"

"Red hair, too. She'll fit right in," Puck said. "Oh! Let's take them to see Titania and Oberon. You know they'll just love that."

"Yes, of course. They do love children."

"I've heard so," Puck said, with an impish smile.




"Let's make a bit of party of it, shall we?" he offered.

"Why not?" she said. "We haven't had much reason to celebrate lately. It would be nice."

As they continued to prepare for bed, they discussed the potential guest list.




"How about Kent and Bianca?" Puck said. "We haven't seen them in a while..."

"And Jason, don't forget."

"Oh right! You're good. Better than I am. How shameful of me to forget Kent's new beau."




"It's still pretty new. He just recently moved in with them."

"Three's company," Puck said.

"And also a crowd," she added.

Both were silent for a time, each thinking on that old saying, and how their updated version had also once applied to them.




"I don't think I'll ever stop missing him," Hermia said.

"I know," he said, "I loved him, too. Dearly."




"I thought he'd always be there," she said. "I guess maybe he wouldn't have anyway. You know how these things are."

"Yes, I know. I know..."

"But still. I wished it."




"And I as well." His smile had a way of warming her heart, in even the worst of circumstances. "And now we'll never really know."

"That's the hell of it," she said. "The not knowing. I think it's always better to see things through, for better or worse."




"Is that why you've asked me to marry you?" Puck said. "To see things through?"

Hermia smiled, and shook her head.

"My darling Puck," she said. "If I lived a million lives, I would ask you to marry me every single time."




"I'm going to hold you to that," he said.

"See that you do, love."




"See that you do."




Bottom and Vidcund had gathered as many samples as they could reasonably carry with them, and were looking in vain for a way out of Faerie. They had searched the clearing from one end to another for some sign of the thing that had brought them there, with no luck. They'd even checked the hedge maze again, or at least the version of it that existed in that realm, and had found nothing at all at the centre.

"So now what?" Vidcund said.

"I'm not sure." Bottom said. "Let's follow the path, I guess."




So they walked.




And walked.




And walked.

"Something doesn't seem right about this place," Bottom said. "Can you feel it?"

"I think so." He knew it was creeping him out, at least. Even more so than it had been since their arrival.

Off in the distance, they heard a sound.

Vidcund turned to Bottom. "Was that a—"

"A wolf," Bottom said. "Many wolves."




"There has to be at least a dozen of them to make that much noise."

"Do you think it's safe?"

"I guess we'll find out." It wasn't as if they had enough time to do anything about it.




Soon enough, they saw the wolves running through the forest ahead of them.




At the head of the pack was a reddish wolf with dark brown eyes.

The wolf came to a stop, seemed to bark some orders at the rest of them to send them on their way, then continued to walk towards Bottom and Vidcund.




The wolf stopped when it was directly in front of them, and eyed them silently for a couple of moments,

Bottom and Vidcund exchanged glances, but said nothing.

They waited.




Then, right before their eyes, the wolf transformed.




"Is that a—"

"A werewolf," Bottom said. "Yes, I do believe so."

"You're kidding, right?"

"I'm afraid not. All sorts of things exist here." Bottom was a little surprised that Vidcund had such a hard time accepting the existence of a werewolf, given his experiences with otherworldly creatures, but she thought it was hardly the time to bring it up.

Instead, like Vidcund, she waited to see what the creature's intentions were.




"You seem to have strayed from your path," said the werewolf, with its deep booming voice. "Are you lost?"

"Yes," Bottom admitted. "We apologize if we're trespassing on your territory. We're seeking an exit from Faerie."

`"Oh? You're from... the other side, are you?"

"Yes. And we'd like to return. If you know a way out, please tell us."




"Well, in that case. Since you said the magic word..." The creature smiled, and seemed suddenly far less ominous.

"Magic word?" Vidcund asked.

"I think he meant... please?" Bottom said.




"That's right," the werewolf said. "We mustn't forget our manners."

"You have got to be kidding me..." Vidcund muttered.

"Shhh!" Bottom said, jabbing him in the ribs. She didn't expect him to fully understand the importance of ritual and manners to her kind, but she knew better than to risk offending the creature. "So how do we cross back to our realm," she said, to the creature. "Please tell us."

"It's really quite simple," he said. "There is a tower to the west of here. When you reach it, climb to the top, and you will surface in the sim world."

"That's it?!" Vidcund asked.

"That's all you'll need to know." The creature laughed, and quickly vanished.




"Well, that was simple enough," Vidcund said, as they reached the tower. "That seemed... too easy. This magic stuff is all a bit nonsensical, isn't it?"

"Of course it's nonsense!" Bottom snapped. "It's magic! It doesn't follow reason. And couldn't you try to hide your disbelief from him a little better? You almost offended him."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude to that... thing. Werewolf. Whatever. I'm out of my element here, to say the least."

"It's okay. It's new to me, too... in a sense." She smiled. "Well, shall we?"

"After you..."




They entered the tower.




And surfaced back in Veronaville. It was just becoming morning.

"Bottom? Bottom! I've been searching for you."

It was Oberon.




"Where have you two been? I've been looking all over."

"We went... a little far afield." Bottom said.

"I warned you, didn't I?"

"Yes, but you know me..."

Oberon simply shook his head.

"Thank you for coming for us," she said.

"That's what fathers do," he growled. "Now let's get back home. Titania must be worrying by now."




They returned to find Puck and Hermia talking to Titania on the front step.




"So you've decided to return," Titania said. "I was beginning to wonder if you'd ever come back."

"We're sorry to worry you," Bottom said.

"Well, no matter," her mother said. "At least you're here now."

"Well, I think you're just in time!" Puck said.

"In time for what?" Bottom said. "What is it now?"




"Well...," he deferred to Hermia, "Would you like to tell them, or shall I?"

"We've decided to have the wedding today," she said.

"Today?!" Everyone reacted nearly the same way. Their wedding was being planned for the following year.

"Yes, why not?" Puck said. "An impromptu wedding party! Just like Titania and Oberon had!"

"Well, I'm charmed," Titania said.

"I'll gather the masks," Oberon said, "and tell Morgan and Nuala to get the children to help set up the arch."

"We'd only be too lucky to have a marriage as happy as my parents," said Puck. "And why wait? We can get married today!"




Bottom and Vidcund followed them into the house. Titania hung back for a moment and took Oberon aside.

"So I take it you found them without any trouble?" she asked.

"It's easy when you know exactly where to look," he said.

The two shared a knowing smile and then followed the others.




Hermia lead Bottom into the library with her.

"Will you help me into my dress? As my soon to be sister-in-law?" Hermia asked.

"Of course."




"Even after all that's happened, I'm so happy right now. I couldn't be happier."

"You were made for each other."

"Can I tell you something? Just between us?"

Bottom nodded. "Please do."




"I did give it some thought, briefly, after discovering that Juliette had died. I was the last of my family line, and that's very important to me. Having children to carry on our name has always been something I've dreamed of."

Bottom nodded.

Hermia continued. "But the thought passed. I love Puck more than anything, and though I know we will likely never have children, there's no hesitation in this choice for me. Even before I learned that Tybalt had children we weren't aware of, I was still okay with it, to be with Puck."

"You don't know for certain that he can't have children. Maybe you'll be lucky."

Hermia shook her head. "I'm not one for false hope. I never have been. I know the odds are against us."




"There's always a chance," Bottom said. "We never thought Oberon would."

"I guess we'll find out." Hermia smiled. "It won't be for lack of trying."

"Are you ready?"

"Yes."






























"The balloon's all fired up," Morgan said. "Would you like to go for a ride?"

"Balloon?" Vidcund turned to see the hot air balloon at the edge of the garden. "Where did that come from?"

Bottom couldn't help but laugh at his expression. "What, you mean you don't have one in your backyard? I thought all families did."

"Well, we do have an observation tower..."

"So how about it? A balloon ride over Veronaville," Bottom offered, making it clear he would be the one to decide.

"Yeah, sure," he said. "I'll give it a try."








Once in the air, he was more than happy with his decision. The scenery was breathtaking.

"Isn't this a beautiful country?" Bottom asked.

"Yes, it's very beautiful."

"Vidcund, can I ask you a personal question?"

"Sure."

"Why is it that you've never been married?"

"It's never come up," he said.




"So you've never had anyone in your life?"

"I did... once. I used to."

"What happened?" she asked, then reconsidered. "No, I'm sorry. That's really none of my business."

"No, it's okay," he said. "It's... well, life happened, I guess. Things change. People change."




He lost himself to his thoughts for a moment. Circe and him, in their university days, when he thought they had their whole lives ahead of them. He had never once doubted it.

Bottom reached over and took his hand. "Would you like to go out with me sometime?"




He smiled. She was clever, like Circe, and she reminded him of her when they were younger. She had the same spark, the same commanding presence. But there was something else. Bottom was open to him in a way that Circe never had been, and perhaps never would be.

"You know," he said, "as someone who's looking to secure a permanent position at La Fiesta Tech, it's probably not in my best interest to get involved with one of my students."

"I guess I'll have to make sure I'm never your student, then," she said.

"Aren't you in the accelerated Biology program?"




"Do you doubt it?" she said, with a smile.

"No."

"I guess I'll just have to be creative about which courses I sign up for. Or wear a mask. You know, we Summerdreams do love our masks."

"So I've noticed."

"So, my question still stands. How about it?"

"Okay," he said. "I'd like that."




Bottom barely missed a beat before adding, "It'd be a terrible shame to waste this romantic balloon ride, don't you think?"

"Well..."

She reached up to Vidcund's chin and pulled it down towards her, pressing her lips to his.




Vidcund found himself rethinking his opinions on magic, just a little.

When they returned to the ground, they once again found Oberon waiting for them.




"There's someone on the line for you, Vidcund," said Oberon. "Your brother, Pascal."

A chill went over his body. The timing of the call was all wrong. Pascal would never have called him at this time of day, never called at all, unless...

He quickly accepted the phone from Oberon's extended hand.




"Pascal? What's going on?"

"You need to come home right away," he said.

"Why?"

"PT is dying. He has the alien virus."

"How in the name of... never mind, I'm on my way." There'd be time to worry about the hows and whys later.




For now, all he needed to know was that it was bad news for his family.

Very, very bad news.
















Continue to Chapter Thirty-Six (Part One)...

---

Notes:

I was seriously doubting whether this update would ever happen, and now that it's completed, I can't think of much else to say about it. I can't believe it's been two and a half years since the last proper chapter update. This one was quite a struggle, but I'm glad I stuck with it and finished it. I think I achieved something here in that alone. I feel like I had more to say about this chapter, but it's not coming to me right now. I'll probably follow up with some better notes at another time.

Thank you to my kind and generous beta readers, sophie8 and w_sims. You've really helped me bring this together these past couple of days and have made the finished product a much better one. I greatly appreciate your efforts. And dare I say it, but I actually had fun editing with you. :)

And thank you to anyone and everyone that has followed this story along with me so far, those who have been here since the beginning and those who may be new to it. I am very lucky to have readers like you, who have discussed things and reacted and pondered over plots and characters right along with me. I hope to be able to continue to tell an interesting story for you.

Thank you for reading. :)

Comments

[sphynxed.livejournal.com]

Some time ago, I posted a message on your formspring about my battle with depression and how I knew I needed to finish your story. My life has truly changed since then, and I know I didn't need it, but I've always held out hope I'd see the end of Strangetown: Here We Come. It is unbelievable how excited I was when I saw the chapter. I suppose patience really is a virtue.

I loved your werewolf. Very handsome and charming for a fellow covered in fur.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Your comment brought tears to my eyes. I'm so glad to hear that you've run the gauntlet of depression and made it out the other side. As a fellow sufferer, I know that's no easy feat, and not always entirely in our own control. I'm really happy for you. And being some small help to you in such a dark time is something that truly brings a smile to my face. What could be better than that? :) Good luck to you in your continued good health.

I've always hated the idea of leaving this story hanging without any closure, and I can't even express how happy I am to see that people are still interested in reading it. It's like reconnecting with an old friend and finding that you can pick up almost exactly where you left off, but things end up being even better because you don't take them for granted as much as you used to.

Thank you. He's a very amiable werewolf, isn't he? ;)

[pixelcurious.livejournal.com]

I've always heard that time in Faerie flows differently than here in the real world. One night spent there can be two and a half years, here. ;)

I *am* glad to see Vidcund and Bottom back, without mishap! Even though they're not the most central characters, they've been the ones I thought about the most. Thanks for tying up that loose end, and others, while spinning more out with other parts of this installment. I really need to go read the Circe bits over, I am hazy on the details. And I didn't remember Tybalt having kids at all...

Great to see you back! *massive smiles*

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Haha! I was thinking that myself. It's really quite fitting that I disappeared at exactly this part of the story, right along with Bottom and Vidcund. They really did spend two and a half years of our time in Faerie, but very little story time. I'm glad I finally managed to send someone in to find them. Poor simmies! XD

Vidcund and Bottom both have a very important role to play in the story at large, though not exactly at the centre of it. Vidcund's connection to Circe all but guarantees him some interesting play and I sort of fell in love with the idea of Bottom as a counterpoint to Circe's character. There was that one line where I had Vidcund compare her to Circe, saying "But there was something else..." and you have no idea how tempted I was to add: She had a heart. LOL!

If you follow back through the Circe bits, there's really quite a lot that has been revealed so far, but it's been so spaced out that it's probably pretty easy to forget all the connections, and I think that's okay at this point. I'll very soon spell that out much more clearly. Hopefully, with dramatic effect.

Tybalt's children have only been mentioned in this chapter, in parts one and two. Jules O'Mackey had a relationship with him before he died.

Thank you. ^_^ It's really great to be back. I've really missed chatting about sim stories and sims in general with all of you (and real life too). *smiles right back at you*

Update!

[marika lehtinen (from livejournal.com)]

I loved it :) Been waiting for an update for a while and was happily surprised to see one.I'm glad you managed to finished it!

Re: Update!

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Thank you. ^_^ And thanks for your patience with the wait, as I said. This chapter had a neighbourhood corruption, a hard drive failure, and some very distracting life events working against it, so it's really a wonder it ever got finished.

I feel quite confident that the next three chapters will not leave you waiting as long in between. It's a huge turning point in the story that I've been leading up to for a very long time. I'm excited to finally be able to tackle it.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the number of sets and locations that needed to be recreated to finish this chapter did not help me at all in getting it completed. XD There really was a lot going on.

The twins are Tybalt's children, shown in the background of this pic. All of the other children are Summerdreams. The three older children were adopted and the toddler was born into the family.

The balloon is indeed from the Parsimonious set. It functions a little differently, with only one sim riding in it at a time. To achieve that effect, I built a tower as high as I could to place it on, sent it up, removed the sim who was riding it, and then hoisted Bottom and Vidcund into it using the shiftable OMSPs. I'm pretty happy it worked out.

A lot of the Nina, Dina, and Circe stuff was new information (like Dina working together with Circe and the fact that they are all related), but I do understand what you mean. The two shorts on the Caliente sisters (found in the story directory or under their tag) gives more of their side of it, and Circe's involvement is spread throughout many chapters. Again, her tag might help you track them down if you're interested.

I really like giving the Calientes really long hair. It's fun, and I don't tend to go for it with many characters. I was aiming for a look that matched their premade styles, with Nina having bangs and layers and Dina having more of a straight style. Both of those are Simgaroop recolours.

I forget how that one initially occurred to me. It was perhaps related to the school girl look I was using on Bottom as a uni student at the time (just after FT came out) and with Vidcund being a science scholar at the time (and I think I even moved him into the education career after that), I couldn't resist. Then I got to thinking about all the ways they'd actually be good for each other, and it sort of went from there. They have good chemistry, too.

Thank you. :) It's great to be back to posting.

[thejessachannel.livejournal.com]

It's fantastic, Strange! The photos are gorgeous, the story is compelling and I just spent a lovely time reading!

*applause!*

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Thank you. ^_^ I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[simliefhebber12.livejournal.com]

Aaaaah!
I'm so glad you're updating this again <3

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Thanks! :) It feels good to return to this story. I never quite let it go from my brain that whole time I was away from it.

[maranatah.livejournal.com]

I can't stop admiring your talent with all the details. It's amazing! The pictures are wonderful, and especially the ones with the hot air balloon are fabulous. :) If you don't mind, I have a tiny wcif: Puck's hair?

I'm glad to see you posting updates again! :)

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Thank you. The hot air balloons were a little challenging for me (I even thought I'd have to green screen them at one point), but they ended up working out just fine. I had fun with all the set creation and such in this chapter before it was all over. I do love playing around with garden stuff. XD

I'm always good for a WCIF, if I can remember where the content comes from. :P That one is a Simgaroop recolour of Kavar's Sun, found here.

It's good to be back into this story. I have no doubt that the next couple of chapters will not take nearly as long. ^_^ Thanks for reading!

Re:

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Thank you. ^_^ I'm glad you liked it.

[timberwolfoz.livejournal.com]

CONGRATULATONS! YOU DID IT! *applauds*

And oooooh, the plot continues to thicken. Dina's self-hatred is interesting. And I hadn't realised she and Circe were related!

Don is in deep doo-doo right now, I suspect.

Well done. Great to see you have your mojo back.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Thank you. ^_^ Haha! I really do feel like taking a bow after getting that completed after so long. It feels so good to get it posted and out there.

The relationship between the Calientes and Circe is new information. Dina's view of things stems from her learning of her alien heritage only after her father was brutally murdered for being an alien hybrid. Before that, he kept it a secret from everyone. I have a couple of shorts that go into that in a little more detail. I should have linked to those above. I will do that.

Ha! Yeah, Don has been messing with a lot of powerful women, and doesn't even realize the half of it. He's walking right into the backyard of the Cordial sisters, so we'll see how that goes. Kimberley has already blown one guy to bits that we know of, so let's hope he stays on his best behaviour. Lucky for him, Circe has gotten what she needed from him and has moved on.

Thanks for reading. :)

[porkwithbones.livejournal.com]

I'm glad to see this update. I'm a new reader since your last update, and I look forward to more.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Ah! Nice to meet you. This is a pretty good time to find the story, since the next chapter will most likely arrive pretty soon after Christmas.

Thank you for reading. ^_^

[thinker1127.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad to see this update! It was exactly what I was hoping for in the middle of finals! Great job as always!

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I hope I didn't distract you too much from your finals. :P

[muslemura.livejournal.com]

Yay! So great seeing a new chapter!

And it's such a beautiful chapter too! Your pictures are, as always, gorgeous and interestingly framed, and the plot very intriguing. You leave us wanting more...as always :D

[petchy-14.livejournal.com]

Bravo; Well Done; You're Back, Strange :)

[sophie10.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the thank you! I had a lot of fun too and I look forward to the next chapter ;-)

I <3 the wedding scene, it's just gorgeous. So many people and so much love, exactly how a wedding should be!

[skoogy.livejournal.com]

I spent two hours reading this - ´cause reading slow is always the way I prefer to read great stories!

I´m so glad that you wrote this chapter, despite wanting to make it short and focus on the next chapters. I think this tells so much, and improves the understanding of the story (the past, the present and probably the future too). And as always; this was very well written and a pleasant reading experience! :)

I first thought the werewolf was Oberon... I´m not really good at telling faces apart though! :P

The balloon ride was so romantic and beautiful, and I like the idea of Bottom and Vidcund together! Puck and Hermia also look absolutely amazing as a couple in your game, and I adore the style you have given them (and all the Veronaville sims!). Last time I played Veronaville I did marry them, but I never managed to get their chemistry higher than 1 bolt. Still they seem pretty perfect together!

I really like the special feeling you managed to create in the Faerie, so beautiful yet frightening.

I´m already looking forward to more, and it´s great that you are excited about it as well! :D

[bowling-otaku.livejournal.com]

Yay! I forgot how much I loved this story, but as I read I was able to remember what was going on when I saw everyone last. Thank you for continuing it. :)

[meetme2theriver.livejournal.com]

OMG OMG. I am almost speechless, but I'll just ramble about whatever comes to my mind. Needless to say, this was awesome and I enjoyed it immensely.

Okay, so, the whole scene with Samantha and Kimberly was really cool and fourth-wall-breaking. I love that you used your & Simgaroop's Tricou storyline in it, and that you included the little conversation about what the story really is about.

The Dina/Nina/Circe stuff was great. It cleared up several things that I wondered about before, and seems really ominous. Dina's hatred for what she is makes me a little sad. Didn't she have children with Mortimer? Where are they?

Faerie looked so neat. I like that you used the sky and the bright colours and flowers to make it look different from the regular Simverse. Loved the wolves and the werewolf.

And of course Puck and Hermia, and their wedding! <3 <3 They are an adorable couple, it's a shame they have rather poor chemistry (at least in my game). Who were they talking about, though? Mercutio? Also, is he Puck Capp now? :)

I really do want to go back and continue my rereading project, I'm sure there are so many details I've forgotten. I still can't believe it's been two and a half years, either! I hope you find the inspiration to write more, but either way, this was superb. :) Much love.

[skellington7d.livejournal.com]

Welcome back!

Aw, Dina truly loved Morty. :) And Nina's holding back the urge to punch someone. I hope Don gets what's coming to him.

I was kind of scared for Dina when I heard Circe sent her flowers, but hopefully that was just a nice gesture and Circe still wants to keep her around.

Bottom and Vidcund are sweet. I've been waiting two years for them to finally kiss! I hope the samples they gathered will come in handy. It might just be my imagination but that werewolf looks kind of familiar.

[silentsteel.livejournal.com]

Oh wow! Oh wow wow wow!

Incoherent for now. Will wander back with a more coherent comment later.

!!!!!

[silentsteel.livejournal.com]

. . . my my, Oberon - fur suits you so well!

Everything about Faerie and the Summerdreams is awesome. You captured the feel of 'familiar and utterly other' that comes with so many of the old Faire Folk tales.

Bravo

[chakkraa.livejournal.com]

About time, woman! lol I've been waiting FOREVER for this update. I'm glad you finally had the inspiration to complete chapter 35.

Bravo, Strange, Bravo

[fireflys-locket.livejournal.com]

I cannot express how excited a return of this story has made me. I definitely feel like I need to reread this whole series pretty soon, but just reading Chapter 35 in its entirety, along with some extras I'd missed, I feel the creative spirit in me lighting up. I've always loved the interconnected plots and characters in your stories, and it makes me excited to work on my own universe in a way that few other things do.

<3 Thank you.

[holleyb76.livejournal.com]

Warning! I leave long comments :P I should really take notes when I read so I remember what I want to say and it isn't all gibberish and half thoughts.
First off, it is so great to see this updated. Who cares if it has been two and a half years, YAY UPDATE!
I love the idea of Jocasta being a sister to the Cordials, even is just a witchy sister. I am looking forward to seeing this all take shape. It seems Bella has an important part to play in it all.
I love your makeovers of the Caliente sisters. I really enjoy your portrayal of Dina being cunning and ambitious...ruthless. You can translate fortune into power easily. I wonder what Nina will do when she catches up to Don? It kind of scares me them talking about aliens getting what they deserve. It makes me scared for people like Johnny and Jill :(
Circe scares me. That is all.
Could Puck/Hermia/Mercutio's relationship have been a mirror of Ripp/Ophelia/Johnny's relationship? Is that what they were talking about when Hermia wished he would have stayed? I guess we will never know.
Vidcund and Bottom are cute together. The whole scene in Faery was interesting. I love reading stories that embrace the supernatural aspects of the game cause I tend to ignore them :/

[katee412.livejournal.com]

I really wish I could say something more analytical or coherent, but sadly I can only say this;

This was so, so, so good! Yay for Vidcund and Bottom, and Dina, and silly in-love Nina, and aw for Jocasta with the Cordial sisters, and Titania and I'm really looking forward to a further explanation there and what happened with the Tricous! And Puck and Hermia are gorgeous and did I mention this was so so so good?

[alien-cats14.livejournal.com]

Yes! So my hot air balloon guess was correct! It WAS Vidcund and Bottom!

*ahem*

I mean... WOW. I log onto here today and I find another chapter.

Incoherent as of now. I will be back to re-read this again as soon as the excitement wears off.

*SOON

All I can really say is that Circe still scares the pants off of me. *shudders*. Let's hope her son's not like her, eh?

Also, that's some lovely CC you've got there. Maxis match FTW, am I right? Besides - this story's the thing that made me convert to maxis match.

Also love what you did with Dina. Most people don't give her as much depth as one would wish, and I was actually quite shocked to know that she *did*, in fact, love Mortimer. Interesting, and certainly a good piece of writing.

And I have no idea how you made the sky so pretty in Faerie, but it's so lovely.

[tov01.livejournal.com]

OMG It's here! *flails* You have no idea how excited I am to see this. I'm really looking forward to seeing what you have in store for everybody.

I also really want to know where you got that hot air balloon, as now I have a barely controlled urge to place one in everyone's back yard.

[jeeks.livejournal.com]

I'm so happy you've decided to put out another chapter! You did a great job picking up where things were last. I wish I could better describe how happy seeing your update made me today! You're definitely a terrific storyteller. I also like the way the blackness started creeping in the scenes as Bottom and Vidcund were searching for a portal in the woods.

Oh yeah, Circe smiling is the scariest! D:

:)

[(Anonymous)]

I'm so glad you're continuing the story again! I've been following you since five years and I'm really love the story :)

[smjoshsims.livejournal.com]

I CAN'T BELIEVE I MISSED THIS.

Vidcund and Bottom are everything. The shot of them in the hot air balloon was so pretty, ST. I'm so genuinely glad this update came out. The conversation between Puck and Hermia was perfection.

Is Oberon pulling double duty here? :P

[sinderellah.livejournal.com]

Happy to see an update! Congrats on getting it finished, and looking forward to more no matter when they come. (Hopefully not another 2.5 years, but I'd still wait! :)

[ebbycarolina.livejournal.com]

YAYYYYY!!!
*Lurker here*
While I saw this when you first uploaded it I didn't get to read it until yesterday because I'm new to your story and I had to catch up, that and I had finals (I was on chapter 31.5).

I think the thing that really made me think was Tybalt's relationship with Jules. I never really thought of that combination, and now I might just try it in my uberhood.

I'm really going to miss PT when he dies, Strangetown and all its inhabitants are my favorites, that funeral is going to be packed!

Also you've really made me love all the characters more than I already did, especially Ripp <3

I just have to say I love how much thought you put into your story, and how beautiful your pictures come out. Well that's the end of my ramble. I'll go back to *lurking* now. Looking forward to an update (no matter when you decide to post :D).

[icemice22.livejournal.com]

I've been reading STHWC since late '10 and periodically checking in on your LJ. So you can imagine my excitement when I came to check and saw the update! I am so happy that this story isn't dead, it's my favorite sim story!

Also, reading through your LJ these past years has given me an interest in sim genetics, I now try to have my sims breed with...interesting townies xD

[mirror-of-faith.livejournal.com]

Wow, my brain overflowed. Dina working for Circe? Plot to kill all aliens? Circe being their cousin? Dina not only being smart, but also a self-racist? Brilliance. Please keep the story going. The thing about Jennicor interests me as well. Are you going to incorporate the Tricous into the story?

[selenecorvino.livejournal.com]

Very late comment..., but just wanted to let you know that I enjoyed the update and I'm looking forward to more.

[meristedange.livejournal.com]

Hi, just started reading your story and I ended up being fascinated. I'm looking forward to how the anti-alien conspiracy will pan out. The battle the fae and the witches were involved in intrigue me too.

I also have a few WCIFs: the Cordials' witch suits, the Calientes' hairs, Dina's dress?

A new fan!

[kamadaki-sama.livejournal.com]

Hi, hello ~!

I was browsing through deviantART and Google Images earlier this evening, curiously searching for images relating to Johnny Smith and Ripp Grunt in a relationship. I came across various art made by your fans as well as header images of SHWC. After seeing some of the image previews, I decided to give your fiction a read, despite the threesome I was going to be in store for (I see how you imply a lot of Johnny/Ripp, you clever thing).

So I've spent about ten hours reading through your story in its entirety, and I must say I'm hooked! Very hooked. > u< I love the character development and the drama, it's so juicy. o uo I must also ask - how is AL working out for you? I have it, and have been meaning to install it but with finals fast approaching I simply don't have the time or patience to reinstall my mods.

Anyway, I'd just like to say how pleased I am with this story so far, and I hope you continue!

~ KD

Re: A new fan!

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Hi there! Thanks for taking the time to leave me such a nice comment. I'm glad you've enjoyed the story so far, and it's interesting to hear how you came across it. I'm curious about how you said you read it "despite" the threesome. Is that something you'd normally avoid?

(And yeah, the Johnny/Ripp subtext is very ~subtle~, am I right? :P)

I've enjoyed AL. It adds some nice features and content to the game and Belladonna Cove is a beautiful neighborhood with some interesting characters in it. The witches are also a lot of fun to play with. And most notably, if you're interested in posing sims, it allows for the shiftable OMSPs and the freezer clock, which make sim storytelling a lot easier and more fun.

Thank you. :) I'm picking away at the next chapter, so there should be plenty more drama to go around when I do get around to posting it.

Thank you for your awesome story

[sarah pogson (from livejournal.com)]

I have recently got a new laptop and installed my Sims 2... I have never played Strangetown for more than a few days, and was looking for inspiration of what to do with my Sims there...

Well, what a story! Where do I begin! Thank you so much for the time, effort and talent you shared with us in your tale. From Strangetown to La Fiesta Tech, to Veronaville, to the land of the Fae. Amazing.

I am so in love with Tank after your tale. I have General Buzz reconciling with his three boys, and am tempted to make my own Simself to marry Tank. That jawline... Oh dear.

Do you think you will ever write any more? Or is the tale told? I would love to see the funeral one day, if only for some more closure to the story.

[iseesims.livejournal.com]

Wow! What a great story and so inspiring, too. My favorite is the RJO storyline.

I started playing TS2 in Strangetown with the premade sims, so they are close to my heart. I had to go back and look at their memories. I never paid attention to that stuff. I didn't realize Loki and Circe were so evil.
And I love your Bo Broke. I'll have to look him up in my game. Never paid attention to him, either.
Can't wait for more of this story!