Strangetown: Chapter Eleven

[strangetomato]

Warnings: language, sexual situations, violence


Chapter Eleven



"I am so sick of Ripp!" Johnny exclaimed.




"He just gets lazier, and scruffier, and greasier all the time! It's like a curse! He gets sleazier and sleazier all the time too, and he just gets more and more play! He's like sim crack. They can't just get enough of it! He has to beat them off with a stick! That is, he would if he ever turned anyone down!" Johnny huffed. "If I saw him walking down the road and didn't know him, I would say, now there is a man that has way too much sex. He's like a walking hard on!"




"Just relax, Johnny." Ophelia sighed. "What are you, jealous?"




"Jealous?! Of Ripp?! The man whore?" He roared. "Oh, please! Like I want to be afflicted by that curse!"




"It sounds like it to me, Johnny." Said Ophelia. "Why are you so concerned about it?"




"I'll bet you find him hot too, don't you?" Johnny snarled.

"Oh, please, Johnny. We aren't really going there, are we?"

"Why not?"

"I really think I'm better off keeping quiet."

"Oh, so you do like him!" he mockingly imitated her. "Oh, Ripp - just take me! Let me drown in the pools of your big dreamy blue eyes!"

"Now you do realize that you're the one who's gone and said it, Johnny, and not me." Johnny just scowled.




"Ripp's our friend, Johnny. It's not our job to judge him, you know." Ophelia said, firmly. "Just give him a break, okay?"

"If you keep taking his side, I will lose my mind." Johnny had been close to losing his mind for weeks now. First, there were the baths.




"Ripp! Are you in the bathtub, again?!"

"Yeah, why?"

"Oh my god, Ripp! You can't be serious! You're going to shrivel up like a prune. Didn't you already have a shower today? How many baths does one person need?"




"What's the big deal, Johnny? Just relax. We can't all take fucking sailor showers like you do."

"It's a waste of water! We have to pay for that, you know!"

"We pay a rental fee based on the value of our possessions, and you know it, Johnny! Now kindly fuck off and leave me alone!"

"Well, it's bad for the environment, at any rate. We live in a desert, you know! God, do you always have to be such an asshole?" He raged on. "Why are you taking another bath, Ripp? You're not even dirty!"

"I'm dirty on the inside, okay?"




"Gross! I don't even want to know what you meant by that!"




Ripp sighed. He'd been enjoying that bath. So he liked taking baths. Was that really such a crime?

Taking a bath gave him a chance to get away from everything, including manic Johnny, and just reflect on his thoughts for a while. He was still thinking about the sight of his brother kissing Ophelia, and how that had made him feel. He had his loyalties to Johnny, of course, and his general disgust for Tank, but he also had his own feelings towards Ophelia. If Ophelia was going to cheat on Johnny, then why had she chosen Tank? The obviously question for Ripp was, why not him? He had no intentions of coming between his two best friends, but she hadn't even asked him, had she? Surely, he cared much more about Ophelia than Tank ever could. She barely even knew Tank. Ripp would do anything for Ophelia. Anything. He liked her more than he even liked himself.

Outside the door, Johnny continued his rant.




"I swear I will lose my mind! You're driving me insane! They're going to come and get me and put a straight jacket on me and take me away!"

"Good."

"Just hurry the hell up, okay?!"

"Why? Do you have to take a crap, or something?"




There was also the constant manipulation. Ripp always managed to talk Johnny into doing things for him, despite Johnny's protests and his better intentions. These things usually revolved about Ripp's extreme laziness and his marked lack of survival skills.

"Make me an omelette, will you, Johnny?" Ripp would be, of course, just lazing around with nothing better to do. These days, Johnny wasn't having any of it.




"Do it yourself, you lazy asshole!"




"Oh, c'mon... please? I can't cook for shit, and you know it."

"What am I, your mother?" Ripp just frowned and remained silent. "Okay, I'm sorry. That wasn't a very nice thing for me to say... Ripp?" Ripp wasn't speaking to him, or maybe he'd just nodded off, since his eyes had been closed the whole time. Still, Johnny couldn't tolerate the idea that Ripp might be upset with him.




"Okay, I'll do it," he gave in, "but you know that I hate the smell of eggs."




"Can you put bacon in it too?" Ripp was suddenly wide awake.

"That might be pushing your luck, Ripp! Just slightly!"

"Oh, c'mon... please?" Puppies had less pleading eyes.




"Fine! Just don't ever say that I never do anything for you!"

"Thank you, Johnny!"




Ripp had always been like that. He'd never been very considerate of Johnny's vegetarianism. Ripp had gone through a vegetarian phase himself, or rather, he had stopped eating meat in front of the General because it meant too much to his father to see him consume the daily requirement for protein. So, naturally, once they were out of sight of Ripp's house, he would gorge himself on every piece of meat he could get his hands on, to Johnny's endless disgust.




"That's just disgusting, Ripp."

"Have you ever even fucking tried one, Johnny? How the hell would you know?"

"Ripp, I can't eat meat. Remember?! I'm a vegetarian. I only have to tell you that, like, every single day! Besides, why would I want to eat something as questionable as a hotdog, anyway? Do you even know what that mystery meat is?"




"Look, Johnny... it could be just lips and assholes for all I care..." Ripp smiled and gazed off into the distance. "Delicious lips and assholes." Johnny's face twisted in disgust, but he had to admit that it was pretty funny too.




Johnny was also annoyed by the countless hours of television that Ripp watched every day, instead of studying. Sure, it had been fun when they were kids, but now they had responsibilities to attend to. Ripp could use that time for something useful, like say, washing a dish or two. Since the world hadn't ended yet, Johnny wasn't going to count on it.




Then there was the guitar. The incessant guitar. Johnny couldn't tell him to stop playing it, since it was actually something productive, but it was also driving him batty. Most of the things that Ripp was practicing for his band just sounded like pure noise to Johnny. He did suppose, though, that he might just be envying Ripp's talent. Johnny wasn't used to being the one with less talent at anything, so this must be how Ripp had felt towards him all those years.

Maybe Ophelia was right about him being jealous, at least in some ways. He did sort of suspect that Ophelia liked Ripp. He had suspected that since high school. Now every time he went to class and found Ripp skipping it, he'd assume the worst. He had constant mental pictures of Ripp and Ophelia lost in the throes of passion.




In Johnny's mind, they'd be back home, tearing off each other's clothes with a haste that Ripp could never muster for much else. The idea of it drove him to distraction. Johnny even sometimes scanned Ophelia's pillow for suspicious strands of long brown hair, but he never found any.




Even worse, he'd imagine that it would be a touching, romantic moment, and then Ripp would propose to her, and they'd start picking out china for their new home. Johnny was making himself sick just thinking about it.

Of course, it wasn't completely lost on him that he was being just a little bit of a hypocrite. He was the one who was actually, sort of, dating someone else too.




He had been meeting up with Jayne Doe, not with any sort of regularity, but often enough. He still hadn't mentioned that to Ophelia.




If Johnny was being honest with himself, he'd have to admit that Jayne had been factoring into his mental landscape too. He had been having some very unwholesome thoughts about her. Still, it wasn't like they were doing anything. He was still dating Ophelia, and he was just hanging out with Jayne. Right?




Just last week, he had met up with her to play pool.




They had been doing a lot of talking, and getting to know each other, which seemed like a good first step when you were trying to decided whether or not you wanted to marry someone. "So, Johnny, tell me more about your friends. Will I ever get to meet them?" Jayne asked.

"Yeah, maybe..." He tried to decide whether that was a good idea or not. Would it be too obvious?

"Oh, come on, Johnny! You're not embarrassed of me, are you?"

"Embarrassed?"




"Yeah, embarrassed of hanging around with me. I'm not that weird, am I?"

"No, of course not." He thought about how strange it would be for Jayne to suddenly intersect with Ophelia and Ripp. Would he even know how to act around all of them at the same time? And would Jayne act like she was his girlfriend, or something? It was a frightening thought.

"Well, what are they like?" She continued. "I know that you have two close friends, a guy and a girl, and you all live together now. How's that going?"




That was a good question. How was that going? Johnny had to take a step back for a second to consider it. How could he really explain the situation to Jayne? All the irritations and internal drama that had been building up in that shared house. Living with people wasn't easy, but they were still his friends.

"Earth to Johnny." Jayne laughed. "You're kinda spacing out, ya know."

"Sorry."

"Well, fine. Be secretive about it. You can be so elusive, Johnny." Could he? It was always unusual to hear what a pair of unclouded eyes could see. He was sure that Ripp and Ophelia's opinions of him were coloured by everything he had done since junior high.




"Am I really like that, Jayne?"

"Yeah. You kinda are." She smiled. "Now watch me sink this in the corner pocket..."




"My friends? Well, It's hard to explain them in just a few words, but I'll try." He said. "First, there's Ripp..." Where should he begin? Sluttiness? Lazier than a sloth? Leaves a chaotic mess in his wake? All that came to mind were negative qualities, and he suddenly felt really guilty about that. Ophelia was right. He was fixating on the negative, and forgetting why Ripp was his friend to begin with.

"Ripp's a really funny guy. If it wasn't for him, I'd probably end up being way too serious most of the time." There, that wasn't so hard. "He's in a band. The Shifting Paradymes. Hmm, what else? I don't know... he really likes omelettes for some reason."

"Wow. Useless trivia, Johnny!" Jayne laughed. "He sounds like a lot of fun."

"Yeah, he is fun." Johnny smiled. "and then there's Ophelia..."

"That's a nice name."

"Yeah... Well, it suits her. Ophelia is a really nice girl." It felt so weird to talk to Jayne about Ophelia.




"Yes! Got it. I'm totally kicking your ass, Johnny."




She really was, since Johnny's mind was hardly on the game. He had a lot to think about. Trying to decide whether you wanted to marry someone, while not actually cheating on your current girlfriend, was hard work. Johnny didn't want to mess things up with Ophelia either. He thought he might really like Jayne, but what if they didn't get married? Then Ophelia would have moved on, and he'd be left with nobody. He really did like Ophelia too, it's not like it would be easy to break up with her. He really did care for her.

That's why he was playing so badly. His mind was just racing. That, and he was very distracted by the sight of Jayne as she bent over the table to make a shot. Johnny felt guilty about it, even though it was all innocent enough. He wondered if cheating with your mind still counted as cheating.

Yes, it was all innocent enough, as were things between Ripp and Ophelia. The times that they spent together were hardly as graphic as Johnny often imagined them.




"I think that Johnny's getting really pissed off at me, Phi." Ripp sighed. "He's so fucking uptight lately."

"Well, maybe you should try to do the dishes more often..." She suggested. "Or keep the bathing to a minimum?"

"God, what is his fucking problem with the baths? Johnny is a maniac."

"Johnny is Johnny, Ripp. Just suck it up, and try not to be a total ass about it, okay?"

"Well, that's pretty easy for you to say, Phi. I really am a fucking ass. How am I supposed to change that now?"




"There! Finally!" Ophelia stood back from the work bench. "I've done it. It's not perfect, but it's close enough." The masterpiece in question was a red rose bouquet, and it was deceptively simple looking. Ophelia had been trying to get it right for ages.

Ripp got up to take a closer look.




"They're beautiful, Phi." Ripp smiled. "Very, very nice."

"Well, the flowers themselves did most of the work, now, didn't they?"

"Stop backing away from taking any credit! You do it every fucking time." He reached out to touch one of the blooms, and rubbed one of the soft petals between his fingers. They smelled very nice.

"You're going to ruin them if you paw them over like that." Ophelia said. "They bruise easily."

"Sorry. I couldn't help it."




"Well, I think we did a very good job."




They really had. It was quite a transformation. Kristen might not have even recognized herself if she passed by a mirror.




"Now, Kristen... are you completely clear on the plan?"

"Yes, Lola, I am."

"Well, let's run by it one more time, just to be sure, okay?"

Kristen would be posing as a writer for a magazine called Rat Race, the office of which was located in Sim City. The magazine focussed on the lives of the rich and famous, and she would be pretending that the Beakers had been selected as the subject of a feature article, complete with a tour of the inside of their expansive mansion.




Circe, no doubt, would be aware of the magazine, so they paid a great deal of attention to detail. If she knew the authors well enough to notice, they had that covered too. They had given Kristen the name of one of them, and modeled her after the photo in the index, down to the very last detail.

Kristen Loste was now Ingrid Sims.

She had called the Beaker's place using a cell phone to avoid suspicion, and explained the situation to them. Everything was working out according to their plan, and the Beakers had invited her to drop by for an interview.




Once there, she was greeted by a very enthusiastic Loki. "Well, hello, Ms. Sims! I'm Loki Beaker, the renowned scientist."

"Nice to meet you, Loki! I've heard so much about you!"




"Yes, I do have quite the stellar reputation, don't I? And just between you and me, my greatest discovery is right at my fingertips..." Kristen considered the information that Pascal and Lola had passed on to her, and wondered if Loki was referring to the activity on the rooftop.

"Would you be willing to share some of your latest research with our magazine, Mr. Beaker?"

"Well, I don't know about that. It's top secret. I wouldn't want any of my competitors to get wind of it, until I've developed the prototype."




"Who's our guest, Loki?" Circe had descended the staircase, and entered the foyer.

"This is Ms. Ingrid Sims, Circe. She called earlier, remember?"

"Oh yes, from Rat Race magazine." Circe grinned. "Let me tell you, Ms. Sims. I just adore your publication! I'm a subscriber, you know. I've always enjoyed your articles. They're simply the best in the magazine."

"Thank you, Ms. Beaker."

"Please, call me Circe."

"Well, thank you, Circe. I'm very flattered."




"I just loved your article on the Worthingtons. So very tragic about Linda, isn't it?" Circe's wry smile revealed the fact that she wasn't so much bothered by the tragedy as amused by it. "Well, she's in rehab now, anyway, the poor thing."

"Yes, that was unfortunate, wasn't it?" Kristen bluffed.

"Well, it's no wonder." Circe smiled. "If the deary had more of a spine and actually got herself a career or something, and stopped pushing out all of those useless girls, she might have felt like less of a failure."

Kristen forced a smile that she hoped was convincing. "Yes, certainly."




Nervous was listening from the pit, sick with worry. He had a very bad feeling about the whole thing. His initial relief, that the person at the door had not been Pascal, had quickly faded. It didn't matter who that was up there. They were still in serious danger. Nervous didn't want to see anyone come under an attack by the Beakers. He, at least, was used to it. He, at least, had seen much worse.

Upstairs, he could hear them talking. "Well, let me get the family album." Circe was saying. "I want you to see our wedding photos. We had such a lavish event. I'd love for old Worthington to put that in his pipe and smoke it."

"I'll go get us some refreshments." Loki said. "Is fois gras acceptable, Circe?" Nervous shivered.

"Yes, Loki, darling."




"You can wait in the parlour, Ms. Sims." Circe cooed. "I'll just be a minute."

Nervous could hear the heel of a woman's shoe clicking across the stone floor as she entered the room next to him. He wanted to yell out to her to leave now, while she still could. Of course, doing so would seal her fate, and his too. He prayed with all of his might that the Beakers were not planning to do anything to her, but since they usually refused to entertain guests, Nervous thought that the fact that they had let her in was a very bad sign.

The footsteps had stopped, but then they continued, lightly, towards the laboratory.




Kristen had seen into the lab, of course, and was shocked by the appearance of some of the equipment contained inside of it. She also noticed the railing, and could tell that there was some sort of pit in there. That would be a good place to keep a test subject, if one was hiding such a thing.

She looked around, and since the Beakers were temporarily distracted, she quickly snuck in to take a better look.




There he was. That would have to be Nervous Subject. He looked up at her with an expression of horror, but he didn't say anything. He didn't look happy to see her at all.

"Are you Nervous Subject?" Kristen whispered.

"Please..." Nervous said as quietly as he could. "Run. Just run. Run away. Now!" Kristen sensed someone standing behind her.




"Are you lost, my love?" Kristen turned around to find Circe at her heels.




"I'm sorry, ma'am. I just wandered in here... I was looking for the washroom. This is quite an impressive laboratory you have... might we be able to mention this in our article?"

Circe just laughed. She was holding a strange object in her hand.

"Why don't you mention this in your article?" She smiled.








Circe lifted the contraption and proceeded to suck Kristen dry of every hope that she had in the world.




Kristen attempted to run, but Circe caught her and cornered her.






Circe hummed a lively tune. "Oh, what a beautiful day this is going to be! I can just tell." She laughed.

"Loki, my love! Go ahead and make us a nice little lunch, won't you?" She yelled into the next room. "I'm going to relax and enjoy myself after this. Just two portions, of course. Our guest won't be staying for long."

"Of course, Circe, darling." Loki went into the kitchen.

After what felt like hours, Circe shut the machine off, and released Kristen. She immediately began to run, but in the wrong direction, and only for a few steps before her legs gave out and stopped moving.




Kristen felt an overwhelming sensation that something was very wrong with her brain. It felt like a window in the side of her head had opened up, and then the last thing that she heard was one big "Whoosh".




She fell to the ground, convulsing. She was in the beginning stages of an aspiration failure.




"What a crazy bitch!" Circe laughed. "She was obviously lacking in basic sanity to begin with, or else she wouldn't have come here! The poor little darling! It's going to be a long road to recovery for this one, I can tell!"




Kristen's frenzied laughter echoed through the Beaker mansion.

"Don't worry, honey." Circe cooed. "You won't remember a thing about it in the morning. You'll have a mind that's as fresh as a pair of new shoes."




"Well, Nervous!" Circe spat. "Your little friend has become rather careless, now, hasn't he? I wonder if Pascal Curious will be so quick to send another fool into the lion's jaws, once he sees what happened to this little darling!"




Nervous didn't respond, since he obviously wasn't expected to.




"Well, go ahead, Pascal, you little freak! Give it your best shot! I'll take whoever you can throw at me! Next time, it'll be be more than their mind that I break! Who's next?!"




Later that evening, a cab pulled up to Lola's house and dropped off Kristen. Lola hoped, briefly, that this was a good sign, since the Beakers shouldn't have known who Kristen was, and where she lived, but she was wrong. The cab door opened, and the driver rolled Kristen out the door. She fell directly to the ground.

Lola rushed to her side.




"Llll... Lllll... Llllll... Lllla...dy..." Kristen managed. "Where... my... mommy..." Lola felt a sinking feeling in her stomach.

This was not good. It wasn't a normal aspiration breakdown. Had the Beakers done something else to Kristen's mind? She ran to get Chloe, and together they carried Kristen up the hill to Pascal's place, where they would try their best to revive her. Lola prayed that whatever had happened to her could be reversed.




"Well, I'm not sure what to think of it, Worthington." Tank said. "It's a little odd for my father to invite us all over for dinner like this. I can only assume that he has something important to discuss with us."

"You don't get together that often?"

"Well, we haven't done it since I moved away to university... and our family dinners were always uncomfortable at the best of times. There has to be some good reason for it." Tank continued to eat his mac and cheese. "How are you liking that, by the way?"

"Oh, it's great." Frances said, not completely honestly. It was awful, but he did appreciate the thought. After he was finished, Tank waited by the kitchen window for the cab.




"Is the cab here yet?"

"No, not yet." Sighed Tank. "They went to pick up Ripp first, so chances are good that he wasn't ready when they got there. What a hopeless cause..."

"Ripp is the one that's closest to you in age?" Frances asked.

"Yeah. Buck is younger. He still lives at home, with Dad."

"What are they like?"




"They're like any brothers, I suppose." Tank said.

The cab pulled up. Tank opened the door and got in. Well, he thought, it seemed that Ripp didn't think the ocassion was important enough to warrant a shave or anything. He bit his tongue and just nodded, saying, "Ripp..." Ripp shot him an extremely dirty look, seemingly for no reason at all, but returned his greeting. "Tank..."

That was the last thing they said to each other for the entire cab ride home.




General Buzz had been preparing for this dinner for quite some time.

Tank was the first to arrive, and Buzz greeted him warmly. He knew that Ripp had shared a cab with Tank, but he could imagine that Ripp would be slowly sauntering towards the house, with no great hurry. Buzz took a deep breath. He could do this. It wouldn't be so bad. His best intentions faded as soon as Ripp darkened the doorway.




One look at Ripp wiped the smile from his face completely. It was all just a little bit too much. The hair, the stubble, the wrinkled shirt, and the look of general contempt. For a couple of seconds, they just stared at each other.

Ripp thought about how he really should have taken one more hit off that bubble blower before he left LFT.




"So, you have no money for a haircut, eh, Ripp?" Buzz began. "Or is it just that you're choosing to spend your money on more important things? You really need to get your head on straight, son! You look like a vagrant." Ripp didn't say anything.

"Nothing to say to me?" Buzz frowned. "You'd expect a theatre major to be a little more expressive, wouldn't you? Or do you only get that way if you actually go to classes?" Again, Ripp said nothing.

"I'm not sure what you're problem is, Ripp, but it's about time you got over it. Your life isn't getting any longer. Do you really want to waste it with all of this nonsense?"

"My life is just fine the way it is, Buzz."

"Well, that's part of your problem, isn't it? God, where did I go wrong?" Buzz threw his hands up and left the room. Buck came in from the living room.




"Hey, Ripp. How are you? Don't let Dad get to you, okay?" That was easy for Buck to say, Ripp thought, but then thought better of saying it. Buck had to live alone with Buzz, and that couldn't possibly be a picnic. Buck had his own issues to deal with, surely.

Tank came into the room. "Well, you've managed to stir shit up pretty quickly, Ripp! It only took you five minutes. Not bad..."

"Shut the fuck up, Tank."




"Dad is right, you know! You could have at least gotten a shave! God, do you have to be such a dirtbag?!"




"I don't know, Tank... do you have to be such a fucking douchebag?"

"Give it a rest, guys!" Buck said. "Can't you just try to get along for a couple of hours?" They glared at each other for a couple of moments, and then Buzz entered the room again.




"Well, I'm glad you boys made it. I have something important to tell you."

"Yes, I figured that." Tank said. "What is it?"

"Well, I've been dating someone." Buzz said, cautiously. "And since things are getting pretty serious, I wanted to introduce her to you all." There was a moment of silence between them.

"Well, come on." Buzz said, more to Tank than anyone. "She's in the kitchen." He lead Tank in with him.




Buck followed behind them, but Ripp hesitated.




Buzz made his introductions. "Tank, this is Elise Pearson."

"Hello, Tank." She smiled. Tank returned her smile.

"Hello, Elise. It's nice to meet you." She was very pretty, and Tank thought she seemed nice enough. He should at least be polite, right?




Buck, then Ripp, entered the room. Elise approached them.




"You must be Ripp, right? Your father talks about you all the time."

"I'm sure that he does." Ripp said, flatly. He could just imagine the nature of those conversations.




Elise didn't really know what to say. Buzz had warned her to be careful around Ripp, so she decided not to press on. Instead, she led them in to dinner. "I've made us some lime prawns! My specialty."

They all entered the dining room.




It began as awkwardly as any other meal in the Grunt household, and it was quite some time before anyone said anything.




Ripp was especially quiet, and Buck was worried about him. He thought that maybe he should have told his brother about Elise beforehand, but he had been afraid that Ripp wouldn't have showed up at all, and he really had wanted to see him.

Finally, Elise spoke up and asked Tank about college. "So, your father tells me that you're studying political science."




"Yeah, that's right." Tank said. "I'll be going into the military after college. You know, following in Dad's footsteps..." Elise smiled.

"How nice."

"Yes, I'm very proud of Tank." Buzz said.




There it was. The implication that he was less than proud of the other two. Nothing new there, but it still hurt. Ripp and Buck looked at each other, then drifted off into their own state of uncomfortableness and disappointment. Buck looked hopefully at his Dad, and Ripp just bit his tongue. After a moment, he couldn't resist.

"Well, you should be proud of Buck too." Ripp said. "Isn't he getting the top marks in his class? And I hear that Buck's been doing some nice decorating around here too."




"Is that right, Buck?" Elise smiled. She was, of course, happy that Ripp had bothered to speak at all, and happy to exchange pleasantries with Buck. Buck smiled with his shy smile.

"Well, I've been doing okay, I guess. Dad was nice enough to let me decorate my bedroom, which was nice."

"Buck has more class in his pinky than the rest of us combined." Ripp said.

"Well, I don't know about that." Buck said. "But I think it turned out pretty well. I'm really interested in interior design." Tank rolled his eyes.




Buzz jumped in to change the subject. "Boys, Elise and I are getting pretty serious, as I said. That's why I wanted to introduce you to her, of course." He said. "In fact, we are thinking about getting married." Nobody said anything.

"I really do love your father." Elise said. "I think that things could work out very well between us." She smiled.




Then, Elise made a terrible mistake.

"I'd really appreciate it if you boys would welcome me into the family like Buzz has."




"Who knows? In time, you might even come to think of me as a mother..." That silence was longer, and more menacing, than all of the others combined.




After some time, Ripp slowly, calmly, stood up from the table.

"Well, this has been really lovely, everyone." he said. "Elise, it was nice to meet you. If you'll excuse me, Buzz, I really do have to go now..." He turned to leave.




"Ripp, wait..." Buzz said. Ripp stopped, but did not turn around.




Tank and Buck exchanged a very similar nervous glance, and then just stared stoically ahead. Buck thought, but didn't say, "Please, please just let him go..."




"Would it kill you to call me Dad, just one time?" Buzz asked. He had meant it like a peace offering, but it sounded much more like a criticism.




"This is the army, right, Buzz? And you earn your rank and title. Is that correct?" Buzz said nothing. "Of course, that's how it works, right? We should know..."




Well, the last time I fucking checked into it, the only title you've earned around here is motherfucking General!"




"You watch your fucking mouth!"




"Fuck!" Ripp yelled at the top of his lungs. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK!"




"Fuck this! Fuck all of you! Fuck you. Fuck Tank. Fuck me."




"Fuck that skinny little blond bitch over there. Fuck all of this shit!"

With that, Ripp turned and ran from the house.




Once outside, he completely broke down. Every cruel thing that Buzz had ever said to him, every disappointed look, every item of neglect, was all there before him, as fresh as the day it had happened. His mother's disappearance, too, was a fresh wound in his heart.

Buck was behind him, silently watching him from the door.




"I'm so sorry, Buck!" Ripp sobbed. "I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"

And then he was gone.




Buck stood in the doorway, stunned.

"Please forgive my brother." He sighed. "He can be a little dramatic at times..."




"He's such a jackass!" Tank snapped. "God, I hate him."

"Please excuse me for saying so, Dad," Buck began, "but did you really expect this to go any differently?"




Buzz wasn't sure what he had expected. Did he really think that Ripp would ever come around, and turn up on the doorstep like some sort of prodigal son with a fresh haircut? He certainly wasn't about to hold his breath.




He had hoped, though, past all reason, that they might have a nice, peaceful dinner like a normal family, just this one time.










(Continue to Chapter 12...)

Comments

[hidden-kitten.livejournal.com]

Ripp's hair is sexy! Unfortunately, since you're using it in this Maxis-only (except for eyes, of course) story, it must be from Uni or OFB. I must say though, you write him exactly like my boyfriend.

Poor Kristin! She doesn't deserve anything bad!

Can I say I winced at the pics of Ripp and Phi on the bed? I really don't want them to get together. Also, Johnny's gotta lay off her, he's seeing Jayne! And he likes her!

Ah, I love this story.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

That hair is an OFB hair, but not all of the hair in my story is Maxis stock, nor is the clothing. I've been using Maxis stuff as much as possible, or things that resemble it, since I prefer it, but there are some exceptions (Ripp's outfit, Jayne's hair, Circe's hair, etc.).

Yeah, Kristen really did not deserve that, but she was willing to take the risk, and it didn't work out. Do you think that Circe cares? No, she does not.

Not a fan of a potential Ripp/Ophelia relationship? May I ask why? Could it be the potential for that to go very badly? The fact that Johnny would lose his (already nearly lost) mind? Johnny's definitely doing some serious juggling there with Jayne. He'd better be careful.

Thanks. *smile*

[hidden-kitten.livejournal.com]

Of course, I don't have all the EPs/SPs, so I don't know which stuff of yours is Maxis or not. I applaud you keeping the Maxis-ism.

I just...having sex with a close friend is not cool! Even worse if it's a close friend who used to date another close friend. But, the story goes where the story goes, and so does Ripp's...manhood. I'll keep reading as long as you keep posting :D

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

I like the Maxis stuff, but I sometimes wonder if it would keep some people from reading the story. Of course, that doesn't make me worry enough to actually use cc skins. I don't think that a cartoon doll with a real person painted over it looks any more real, and some of the facial animations looks really weird to me with the cc. It's a personal preference, I guess, but I'd rather see sims look like sims.

It isn't? What if things evolved from a friendship into something more? Doesn't that happen all the time? I know what you mean, though, since I'm sure that you're referring to something more casual (this is Ripp, afterall), and any dealings with a friend's ex could bring problems with it, couldn't it?

[music-simbol.livejournal.com]

I must say, as someone who has a vegetarian friend, you do not ask them to put bacon in the food they're making for you, that's just plain rude! My ass would have gotten kicked to the curb. I wouldn't be surprised if Ripp eventually moved out to live with the rest of his band soon.

I wasn't sure if it was implied, but does Jayne know that Johnny is dating someone? Hell, does Ophelia know she's dating someone? I realize that you're not going to show us every single thing they do with they're lives, or this entry would be 10 times longer, but Ophelia just seems so nonchalant about her relationship with Johnny. It's like "well, I guess Johnny's nice enough. we did date in high school, so I suppose we'll keep dating in college." I feel like if she was really in love with Johnny, she wouldn't have let Tank kiss her.

Freakin Beakers! I really hope someone takes a hacksaw to them one of these days. I can only assume they knew something was up. Will Nervous ever be free?!

Buzz just pisses me off, plain and simple. I can't help but not like him, because even his attempts at fatherhood suck major ass. I keep flip-floping on Tank. One update, I like, another one, I don't. I just hope that he is happy with his life, and that he's not just following his father's footsteps because he was told to do so. I also hope that Tank and Ripp eventually understand each other better, but I feel like that won't happen until there's a huge row between them first. :/

I could go on, really, I could, but I'll stop here. I'll try to patiently await the next update.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Yes, it's not very considerate of Ripp to ask Johnny to do that, is it? Yet Johnny still did it for him. What does that tell you? I also know plenty of non-vegetarians that would think it was fine to serve a vegetarian something with meat in it and expect them to just pick it out. They often just don't get it.

Johnny and Ophelia are definitely still dating. I figured that the "old married couple" argument would serve as enough of a reminder. They've been together for a while, so it's fairly comfortable, and also getting generally more distant at this point in time. They didn't break up, so they are still together. And no, neither Jayne nor Ophelia knows about the other.

If she was in love with Johnny, she wouldn't let Tank kiss her... hmmm, maybe, but I know that things aren't always quite that simple. That was just a kiss with Tank (and not exactly Ophelia's idea), but it is also possible to fall for more than one person at a time, if it came to that.

Yes, it would appear that the Beaker's knew about that, didn't they?

What you said about Ripp and Tank makes a lot of sense. Or maybe they will just continue to bicker like that forever. Buzz definitely needs a few pointers at parenting, but would you really want to have to try to manage that household?

Seems like this chapter just made you angry. *grin*

[music-simbol.livejournal.com]

It amuses me that my frustration elates you. *grumble grumble*

Sure, I'm a little upset, but I find that when I read other's sim stories, it's like watching a sitcom, where you only get an hour, and then you have to wait a whole week until you get more. Of course, the next episode never answers all you're questions, but just gives you more that proceed to drive you insane.

Let's just say that patience is not one of my virtues.

PS, your music selection was very appropriate for the entry. I downloaded it especially to read this. I also had Depeche Mode's "Try Walking In My Shoes" come on, which also seemed weirdly appropriate.

Ok, end of second rant. See? I really could go on all day. Ranting is in my nature.............I'll go now.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm glad to see that you're getting emotionally involved with the story, not so much that you're frustrated. *smile*

I'm glad you liked the musical selection. I like to think that they are all appropriate (in fact, sometimes, further inspection of the lyrics can reveal a thing or two). Did you notice the reference to the video for that song in the opening image? Walking down the street, directly into the camera?

[music-simbol.livejournal.com]

Ooooooooooh, I see it now. I try to do the same with my entries, but oftentimes, it's just the current song playing as I finish the update. Kudos on the subtlety.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I always have some little intention there.

[hcraig480.livejournal.com]

The stories keep getting better and better. I find myself waiting for them like I wait for a favorite tv show or book. Can't wait til the next one.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Thank you. It's nice to know that, especially when I'm looking at the prospect of starting another chapter from the beginning. I have a large section of the next chapter written already, so hopefully, that will make things easier.

[madame-ugly.livejournal.com]

I liked seeing the "ass" side of Johnny. His fantasizing about Ophelia and Ripp together ties in nicely with the "I don't like someone being better at something than me". Johnny wishes he could "go all the way" with Ophelia, so he automatically assumes that romance minded Ripp has done the one thing he can't. And his selfishness? He's more worried about being alone (eventually) than how either Jayne or Ophelia would feel knowing they're being played against one another. And that ties back to Ripp, who's never been so sneaky. He's very up front with his conquests. "You'll never be the only one."

I'm really disliking Johnny. I like disliking him.

Damn those Beakers. Damn them right to hell. I wanted Kristen to at least get a little further than she did. And now her brains all fried so she probably won't even remember seeing Nervous. And that sneaky little Snidely Whiplash mustache having Loki is just about to perfect his evil little master plan (which I have a feeling might have tipped the Beaker's off to Kristen's plan). Ooh, more dislike. But frustrated dislike. I'm dieing for resolution! Nervous and Pascal MUST make out!!! (I'm going to have to play Peculiar and make Pascal and Percy make out so I can get a fix).

Oh, the seventeenth picture down isn't showing for me (little red x of doom). Just thought you'd like to know.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Well, I can rely on you to know what's really going on, can't I? What you said about Ripp and Johnny and selfishness is interesting, and it comes up directly in a conversation between them in the next chapter. Of course Johnny's ass side has to come out while sharing a small apartment (that's trying at the best of times). There's not a lot of room for two competing egos that are as big as the ones that Johnny and Ripp have.

Yeah, Johnny's no different from the rest of them. He has his good points and his bad points. If he was too squeaky clean, he'd just be boring. Johnny feels like he has a certain entitlement, doesn't he? He's supposed to be the alpha male. Glad you're enjoying that. Notice that Tank's opinion of Ripp and Johnny has a certain validity to it too. From a certain angle, they really are the world's two biggest assholes.

Yeah, the Beakers are something else. They have their ways of gathering information, and after all those years of questionable activity, they're pretty good at it. Looks like our heros will have to think of a much better plan, if they want to get anywhere with that. Or they could wait for a "miracle". *cue foreboding music...*

Not to totally give it away, but that might not be the only thing that Kristen doesn't remember...

I sometimes do that too after I finish playing and taking photos for the story. Just throw random characters together for shits and giggles, or to get a fix for something I'm saving for later down the road, then I exit without saving. It keeps me from throwing off the plot.

I think I may have deleted that pic from photobucket by accident, while I was removing the ones that I didn't use. I'll fix it later. For now, just imagine Johnny with a resigned, whiny look on his face. Oh, drama students...

[madame-ugly.livejournal.com]

Hmm, a "miracle" huh? Well, it is close to christmas. . .(save yourself, Nervous!).

I do a similar thing. I'll let sims get together for a shoot (like the flirting and things with Fava and Abe) and then erase the "love" using inSim.

I forgot to mention, I liked hearing Circe's gossip about the Worthingtons. Makes me want to see them even more now (perhaps that's what you're cooking up for the chapter you mentioned in the comments?).

Hmmm, Kristen's in a worse way than I originally thought? *snort* I just had a funny thought. Nervous's mind swapped out to Kristen (during the zapping). Man, it would just be like "All of Me" (comedy movie with Steve Martin where he and Lilly Allen switch bodies--totally cheesy but funny, especially when she has to take her new boy body to the bathroom and it looks like she's talking to her wang).

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Yes, I'm saving my most pleasant and heart-warming entries for the Christmas season, it seems. My timing couldn't be worse, really.

The reason I quit without saving instead of using InSim (since you still keep the photos) is to avoid having a bunch of memories about it. Ophelia would have constant "fell in love with Johnny", "fell in love with Ripp", "fell in love with Tank" memories, since I've involved her with all of them for some purpose so far. Man, is her aspiration in platinum, though. *grin*

Yeah, that Worthington gossip was fun. It's just a little peak into the melancholy of that family, that Frances isn't fully letting on to (Tank, similarly, doesn't really reveal anything about the Grunts to him). Circe, of course, loves the misfortune of her peers and competitors.

Well, that would be a different angle, now, wouldn't it? Maybe I can do a spin off. *snicker*

[madame-ugly.livejournal.com]

Yeah, inSim does have the memory flaw. But it's fun to hear the "bwoooong" when they fall out of a love they never even wanted in the first place.

[katsuko]

The reason I quit without saving instead of using InSim (since you still keep the photos) is to avoid having a bunch of memories about it. Ophelia would have constant "fell in love with Johnny", "fell in love with Ripp", "fell in love with Tank" memories, since I've involved her with all of them for some purpose so far. Man, is her aspiration in platinum, though. *grin*

Oh, I know the feeling; Ripp is nicely platinum over on the Grunt lot after his "house date" with Johnny over at the Specter place. (It amuses me to no end that Olive really doesn't give a damn that her niece's ex-hubby still lives with her and has his married sweetie come over. She just wandered by the hot tub and waved on her way to the dance sphere XD)

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Ophelia ends up in platinum because she's a family sim, and constantly has "fall in love" in her want panel. The poor thing.

[indigoleo.livejournal.com]

Wow. Johnny being all green and not because he's half alien either.
He's like sim crack. LOL! Now that's a line to remember! I can't decide if Johnny's so jealous because he would like some of that action himself or because he really feels that Ripp is the Scum of the Earth. Or maybe it's just the clash of opposing personalities living in very close quarters.

Seriously, I don't know which one is worse, Circe or Loki. I'm not liking either one of them too much at the moment. Maybe the next time someone tries to rescue Nervous they should bring a pack of ravenous wolves. Circe should die then be brought back to life as a zombie. That would go well with her OCD cleaning habits. I know how much that woman likes to clean everything in sight three hundred times a day. The story is building wonderfully but at the same time it's killing me!

I can't see any meal with all three Grunt brothers and their father at the table going well. Starting in on Ripp the moment he got in the door probably didn't help the matter much. Ripp was already on the defensive as it was. The tension throughout that meal was very strong. I liked Ripp's line about the only title Buzz has earned around there is General. Maybe because that's the way I always saw him too. He was never a 'father', 'dad' or even 'Buzz'. He is The General. He doesn't understand Ripp at all and doesn't seem willing to try. Ripp is so different from what he wants him to be he can't reconcile what he wants Ripp to be and what Ripp is. At least, that's how it seems to me. The General needs to learn to bend once in awhile.
And Ripp doesn't seem very happy, really, does he? Maybe all his whoring around is because he's desperately looking for a love he's never had. A mother's love, a father's love. If it is he's not going to find it that way.
Oh, and by the way, I have that same hair on Ripp in my game. :) It really suits him very well.
Great update and as always, I can't wait until the next one! I guess I have to but, you know what I mean!

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Yeah, those are all good possible reasons for Johnny's mounting irritation. It's a combination of things, but it's definitely related to them living together.

The Beakers just get progressively worse, don't they? Just wait until we find out what Loki's been up to in that tower. *evil grin*

That's a nice analysis of the Grunt family. That dysfunctional family dinner really was doomed from the start. Buzz should have seen it coming. Both of the other boys do call him Dad, just not Ripp. Buzz really does try, or wants to try, but he really doesn't know where to begin.

You're very right about Ripp. He's been unhappy at the core since chapter one, hasn't he? He's trying to make himself happy. I'm sure that there's more to his promiscuity than that (he's also just a horny guy, for one), but it is a way for him to feel intensely loved for a moment, and to be the center of attention too.

Yeah, I like that hair on him, and it also gives the impression that his hair is growing out. It's a natural progression.

What has Loki done with Nervous' powers?

[ricamarcella.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure I'm picking up with what madame_ugly said about how the Beakers knew about Kristen's plan. All those plans Loki's executing on the roof and in the tower... putting Nervous' powers to use, whatever that means... tipped the Beakers off to Lola, Pascal, and Kristen's counterschemes? How?

I'm glad you seem to have rein over all the threads in your story, but the plot's so agonizing to predict when you're a slow reader like me. Guess I'm just not familiar with this kind of genre (action/fantasy/adventure)?

Re: What has Loki done with Nervous' powers?

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

I'm not prepared to give away much more about what Loki is doing to Nervous, and with Nervous, on the rooftop at this point in time. There will be another hint about it in the next chapter, I believe.

As for what tipped the Beakers off, it might just be the fact that I'm a lazy writer, but their means of gathering information are not really elaborated on all that much. They have a telescope, for one, and they use it frequently. They also have a habit of sucking the memories out of people, so that has to be fairly informative too...

[franwi.livejournal.com]

Oooh, Johnny needs to make up his mind soon! I like how he's jealous of Ripp's laid-back, non-relationship liasons. Johnny's so torn between Phi and Jayne, while Ripp's playing musical bed-buddies without a care. I can definitely see how that would get on Johnny's nerves.

OMG, Kristen! I guess the Beakers were ready for this. And poor Nervous stuck in the pit unable to help. I do think taking Kristen to the Curious house could benefit more than just her sanity. *cough-Vic-cough*

I want to read more on Frances. I have some catching up to do again.

Elise didn't really know what to say. <-- Her face there is HILARIOUS. It had me laughing.

Too bad the Grunts dinner plans ended in total meltdown. It's not so much that they harbor animosity towards one another, they just always manage to say the wrong things. I don't think Buzz meant to offend his younger sons by complimenting Tank, but he just doesn't see how that hurts Ripp and Buck. Ripp's tirade was great. Poor Elise. At least now she has an inkling of what she's getting herself into. ;)

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

This isn't an easy decision for Johnny to make, and if it seems like he's being unfair to the two girls involved, it's important to consider his relationship to his father too, and how important this proposed marriage is to him. He's trying to maintain a balance between the two relationships, while he decides, without crossing a moral line. He's not really cheating, as he's justified to himself, but he's getting close, and he knows one day that he'll have to make a call. Of course, it seems so much easier for him to be like Ripp, but he could never do that. Johnny gets irritated by Ripp's lack of responsibility and seriousness, and how he manages to just coast through life (how Ripp is he passing his courses remains a mystery to him).

Hmmm, Kristen and Vidcund, eh? That's not a bad idea. You never know...

Yeah, I looking forward to getting more Frances in there too. I have plans to show his family eventually, so that will be interesting.

Poor Elise. That was a good face. I liked Ripp's face in that interaction too. He looks really hostile. As you said, now she knows what she's getting herself into. If she had only met Buck up to this point, she was really missing a large piece of the puzzle.

Total meltdown, indeed. A lot of the problem with the Grunts is communication, and their inability to do so in a healthy manner. Buzz, of course, doesn't see what he's doing to the other two by focusing so much attention on Tank. Ripp was really trying to make it to the end of the meal, probably for Buck's sake, but he just couldn't take it anymore, and so he lost it. The other boys didn't react well to Elise's statement either, thus the long silence, but they're both much more reserved and polite, so they kept it to themselves. I'll bet that Elise was left with another interesting look on her face after Ripp's parting line.

[franwi.livejournal.com]

I'll bet that Elise was left with another interesting look on her face after Ripp's parting line. LOL! I bet. I do wonder if she will prove helpful in mending this fractured family, or if she'll run screaming before long.

What I like about Frances is that I get the feeling he's fallen for Tank, even though Tank hasn't a clue. I love that pic of Tank looking out the window and Frances staring at Tank. It looks so "secret crush" to me. I also get the impression that Frances is so desperate for a friend/relationship that he feels like he has to make all these sacrifices. He's practically paying for Tank's company, and he seemed pleasantly surprised that Tank agreed to share a room, while Frances bought him a new bed. Plus he's eating Tank's lousy cooking with a smile. It's almost like he's afraid of doing something wrong and chasing Tank off. Frances is already cowed by his father's expectations as male heir, and now if he's growing too close to Tank, it makes me wince at the ultimate rejection he might face. I am certainly looking forward to his story, though, whatever it might be!

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

It's not a project that I'd be eager to take on, so we'll see if Elise is up for such a challenge.

That's a fairly accurate reading of Frances. I think I've been pretty frank about his feelings from the moment he opened the door and saw Tank standing there. Tank really doesn't pick up on it, for whatever reason. Perhaps since it is so left field of what the General has brought him up to believe in, he couldn't even conceive of it. Frances really wants to be his friend, if nothing else, and he's so convinced that his money and everything will prevent this (as it has in the past), that he's really going out of his way to be agreeable. You have to wonder what will happen, and if Frances will even have enough nerve to eventually go with his heart and live his life honestly, or do as his father says and keep the fortune. It's a lot to turn your back on.

[lovelysims.livejournal.com]

I love Ripp. He reminds me so much of my husband it's not even funny. Minus all the slutty romance simism he had about him. lol. But the language issues. I used to have such a clean mouth until I started spending all my time with Jeremy and now I say fuck more than anyone should.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

I love how people keep saying that Ripp reminds them of someone. It must be a sign that I'm doing something right.

I definitely have people in my life that swear that much too, and while I sometimes wonder if it gets excessive in the story (like, I'd hate to add up how many times Ripp has said fuck), it seems realistic to me. Most of the other characters swear sometimes too, and others not at all, but Ripp (and Jaxy too) uses it as a form of punctuation.

[80sfiend.livejournal.com]

Another amazing entry! :D I really really love this. Ripp continues to be my favourite! You do such a great job of making him seem so real. He's just trying to find himself and trying to be happy, ultimately. His interactions with his family at dinner were so HIM and definitely showed that it was him reacting to the situation with all the baggage/issues he has...it was really very well done. :)

And I'm still so interested in the Nervous storyline! I can't wait till they get him out of there! :)

I'd say I felt bad for Kristen, but I've never really been a fan of hers so it wasn't so bad for me to watch her getting all suckified. ;) But who knows what will happen next with her to make me love her! (you have that skill! :P)

Also, I love that we get to see Johnny dealing with everything and handling it badly for once. He's not perfect and it's important that we see him being crabby and with torn feelings. You're so right when you said that it makes him a better character having those little "flaws". :)

Also would you mind reading my story legacy? I've only finished the prologue so far, but I'd love your opinion. I have tons planned for it and can only hope it's anywhere as good as yours! :D

Here's the link: http://80sfiend.livejournal.com/93686.html

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Well, it's good that Ripp is your favourite, because we see an awful lot of him, don't we? *grin* I just think that he's a very interesting character, with all of his issues and how he chooses to deal with them, and as the most extroverted and reckless member of the group, he keeps things interesting. His behaviour at dinner was definitely very typical of him. It's also pretty easy to see how someone like Tank would disapprove of an outburst like that.

I'm excited to move forward with Nervous Subject too, but I've had to hold back on that part of the story until I got the Grunts and Johnny, Ripp, and Ophelia to where I needed them to be, plot-wise. There will be more Nervous very soon. I can hardly wait...

Johnny is no saint, though he may be under the mistaken impression that he is one at times. :) Everyone has flaws, and I think that characters without flaws would be very boring. Well, maybe Pascal Curious is the exception, but we'll see...

I'd love to read your story! I do enjoy a good sims story. I don't usually bother with that many caption-based legacies beyond an occassional glance or two, but I enjoy reading story legacies. I'll check it out.

[kin-thalas.livejournal.com]

Oh well, this dinner was surely the worst ever...
I hope things will get better. But I sense it will not....

(Yes, I have to catch up a lot, I know... Give me time! ;)

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Yeah, poor Buzz. It really didn't work out as he hoped it would.

[aledstrange.livejournal.com]

WOW! Rough dinner ....
But was Buzz new girlfriend dressed as Lyla or am I crazier than I think I'm?? I almost had a flashback! (at least that's the dress she comes up with all the time).

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

I was wondering if anyone would pick up on the fact that I just pulled that dress out of a wardrobe in the Grunt household. Good eye! Is that what she's wearing in her icon in the game, normally? My game is a bit odd in that regard, and Lyla keeps changing every time her ghost appears in Olive's cemetery. I'm not sure what causes that.

The choice of dress was intentional. Perhaps Buzz bought her a dress just like Lyla used to wear, or it was just a coincidence. It ties into her intentions of becoming a mother to the Grunt boys.

[aledstrange.livejournal.com]

:) Lyla gives me thousands to talk about, it was such hard time trying to clone that girl (but i did eventually)
Yes, that's her dress. That's the dress she has on her memories, at least the one she shows when the kids dream or write about her on their diaries. (I have a few pictures, but no idea how to link them here, if possible at all). Also the dress she has if you attempt cloning/resurrecting her. I have notice her ghost has another outfit on Olive's yard, but so have Ophelia's parents. I don't know why, tho.
I really thought for a second, 'maaan! she only needs the hair tied up to look 'just' like Lyla!, the kids are going to be soooo pissed!'
but ... they didn't notice ...or maybe they just kept the comment for themselves?? lol

[missgan.livejournal.com]

Even worse, he'd imagine that it would be a touching, romantic moment, and then Ripp would propose to her, and they'd start picking out china for their new home.
I found Johnny's tirade about Ripp absolutely hilarious. I agree, it's good that he's showing some negative qualities in addition to that hero complex, good guy image of his - letting Johnny just be nothing short of wonderful would really be boring!

Ophelia annoys me to no end, and I'm not sure why.
Why's she so relaxed about her relationship with Johnny and why's she leading him on about Ripp, refusing to confirm whether she thinks about him as more than a friend or not?
Maybe I'm just jealous that she's got her pick of guys - Johnny, Tank, and even the serious affections of Ripp! XD

Poor Jayne, I don't think she's aware that Johnny is actually going out with Ophelia?

Oh gosh, Kristen. She sure got the bad end of the deal! Circe is absolutely terrifying. She laughs every time she tortures someone, doesn't she? I wonder what happens if she turns on Loki someday. Would she be able to use his machines against him? That would be an interesting death match, I'm sure. XD

I winced at all the awkwardness during the Grunt family dinner. :(
I really wanted it to go well, for Buzz's and Buck's sake - Buck really deserves a family gathering that goes well, and Elise seems like a nice girl, so I'd hoped that Ripp & Tank would actually approve, if only so Buzz can set his mind at ease about how the Grunt boys would feel about her. A wedding would have been nice! :/

Ripp really annoyed me with his outburst, & the insult he hurled at Elise was really uncalled for. Still, I guess he is kinda selfish in a way, isn't he? I still enjoy reading about his antics, though.

[ohflark.livejournal.com]

Ripp is turning into quite the asshole.
But Johnny is also getting quite obnoxious.

aww Kristen is adorable undercover! :(

God you are such a good story teller.

[pnkpnthr334.livejournal.com]

So many secrets! Poor Kristin, she's my favorite of the girls in my game. And Ripp is just getting yummier and yummier, even if he is a bit of a jerk.

[simstate.wordpress.com (from livejournal.com)]

Aww - that was an awesome family dinner - Ripp's blow-up was a long time coming!

[wanting-draco.livejournal.com]

Wow, I never read anything like this before. I just happened upon your story, when doing a search for sims fanfiction. I've been wondering if there were any stories that had Ophelia and Johnny in them as a couple. They were my favorite characters to play in Sims 2.

I'm really enjoying you're story. I think you're a talented writer. The dialogue is amazing, and I love how much work you put into the many different characters. The scene with Ripp flipping out at the dinner table was very intense. Out of all the other storylines, the Grunt family is one of my favorites. I think you did a very good job with them.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

I'm just going back through the messages I missed during my recent hiatus, and wanted to say thank you for this comment. It means a lot to me to hear your feedback on the story. Thank you for the kind and encouraging words.

I'm especially fond of the Grunt family, as I'm sure you can tell from reading this story. There's so much conflict there, and unresolved pain, but also love. It's a wonderfully complex family dynamic, I think.

Thank you for reading! ^_^

[pixelcurious]

I feel so impatient with Johnny here! And Ripp too. But they are both still so young. They have a lot of growth ahead, however painful at times.