Strangetown: Chapter Thirteen

[strangetomato]

 

Warnings: language


Chapter 13





Jill Smith kept a diary, and she hid it very well, so nobody was privy to her private thoughts. If someone had managed to find it, however, and was able to decipher her scribbled handwriting, this is some of what it would say.




Dear Diary,

I love Ripp Grunt! There, I said it. He will be mine someday. I just know it. One day we will be together and it will be perfect, and then we''ll get married. Johnny says that I shouldn't get my hopes up because he's a player, but what does Johnny know? He doesn't know Ripp the way I do. He's so sweet.




Johnny's just jealous that Ripp likes me and likes spending time with me too. Johnny thinks he is so important! He always has to be the centre of attention, and he usually is. He's the oldest, the one that's good at everything, the one that's GREEN! It makes me so mad sometimes that he can't even bear to share a little bit of that with me.




He never lets me hang out with him and his friends, even though I really want to. I'm not some dumb little kid like Johnny thinks I am. I'm practically a teenager now too. I could hang out with them. His friends are so cool and interesting (especially RIPP!), and I wish I could spend more time with them.




Well, Ripp hangs out with me sometimes, even though it pisses Johnny off. He's so nice! Sometimes he would play dolls with me. I'd always imagine that it's our perfect house and the dolls are us, living inside it. Ripp always used to make the dolls kiss each other, and I'm pretty sure that he was trying to tell me something.

Ms. Jill Grunt-Smith, Ms. Jill Smith-Grunt, Mrs. Jill Grunt, Mrs. Ripp Grunt... sorry, just testing it out, diary.




Ripp is just so (this part is written in a secret code, created by Jill for this purpose, but it can be assumed that it is a more graphic depiction of his manly virtues).




Dear Diary,

Mom is pregnant again! Oh joy! Another brother or sister to compete with for attention. As if Johnny isn't enough on his own. At least he's away at college now. It's almost as if I get to be an only child for a while, with him out of the house. I don't know what to do with all the attention. Better enjoy it while I can, now that the baby is on the way, I guess.




I've kinda suspected that Mom was pregnant since the last time we had all of the family over for supper. She's been really emotional and sick, so that's pretty much a dead giveaway.




Oh, and Mom and Dad bought me a kitten! She's so sweet. I named her Pita, and she's a little white fluff ball. I'm so happy. I know that it's because of the new baby on the way, but it's still really cool. I just love her.




I'm not sure why my parents think I'm going to be jealous anyway. What's the big deal? It's just a baby. I've had to deal with bossy old Johnny all my life, so it will be great to be the older sister for a change. Johnny - ugh! Now that he's in university, he's an even bigger hero! I love him and all, but sometimes he really just pisses me off.




Dear Diary,

My transition came early, out of nowhere! Oh joy, right? I was just standing on the veranda, and this feeling came over me. I didn't even have time to call out for my parents to come see it, or anything.




It was pretty cool. In a way, I'm glad I was alone, because now it was this special private moment, and I didn't have to have a dumb party to celebrate it. So now I'm a teenager, at last. It's about time my body caught up with my mind!




It sure is great to finally be a woman! I'm kidding, of course. It's such a pain in the hole, and I've been having really bad cramps all day. Boys just have no idea, do they? They're so lucky!




Dear Diary,

Mom is as big as a whale, and she's so weird to be around lately. That is all. I don't know... nothing at all going on in my life. It is boring. My life is boring and it sucks.




Dear Diary,

I am so fucking mad! Pardon the language, but Mom, if you're reading this, then you deserve it. A bunch of assholes at school were giving Buck a hard time again, and one of them called him a fag and then shoved him up against the lockers!




I was so mad! I wanted to kill them all.




Of course, I didn't, but I did tell them right where to go.




I wish I had more of a backbone. I'd get suspended, but it would be so worth it. Those assholes need their asses kicked, and soon, and wouldn't it be so sweet if the little blond "fag hag" was the one to do it?




Why are people so stupid? Buck's not even really gay, or at least, he never said so to me.




I mean, come on, if he was, I think he'd tell me! We're basically the same person. I really don't think that he is, but he doesn't really ever talk about girls, so who knows?




If he is gay, I wish that he'd just come out already, so I can start picking up for him. God, some heads are really going to roll if those assholes try to do anything to him again.




Buck is too sweet. He's way too nice, really. He should have said something, or at least pushed the guy back, but he just turns the other cheek.

I keep telling him that we should just go with it and really show those guys. I wanted to print up some t-shirts with slogans on them, so we could wear them around, but Buck wouldn't even entertain the thought. They would have been awesome. Buck's could have been like "Real men wear pink", or something, and mine could be "Alien and proud - get used to it". Pink and green go so well together too.




Buck is way too shy to draw that sort of attention to himself. He gets enough of it anyway. It's so stupid! Just because he dresses a certain way and is interested in "girly" things, whatever that means! And he's not athletic - who cares? I don't know why they want to make it their business, since it's obviously not. If I ever start choosing my friends based on superficial shit like that, I hope someone smacks me in the face. Besides, I think Buck looks fine the way he is. He dresses way better than those assholes do. They don't have a clue. And so he's a little overweight. Big fucking deal!




Buck Grunt is the best friend I've ever had. He's the best one I'm ever likely to have too. I'd rather sit around and do nothing with Buck for hours than spend even a minute with any of those other guys.




Dear Diary,

Buck redecorated his bedroom and it's so cool! You should see it. I want my bedroom to be just like it. Mine is still stuck like a little girl's room, and Mom doesn't see the need to change it. I hate that yellow carpet so much I could scream. Maybe I could convince her and then get Buck to help me make it over. He's so awesome at it! He painted the walls purple. Yes, purple! It's a lavender. I'll bet his Dad just loved that.




The General is so uptight and strict about shit like that. He must have been surprised to see Buck doing something so bold, since Buck usually just does whatever he should. He'd expect it from Ripp - well, not that, but you know what I mean.

I LOVE RIPP! Love him!! Sorry... just had to write that again, in case you forgot.




Dear Diary,

The babies are here! Yes, babies, as in two! Mom had twins! My family is crazy.




The babies are so cute! I just can't believe there are two of them.




Of course, they both had to be green. Why am I the only one that has to be left out? I feel like I'm the real alien, not the rest of them. It's so unfair! When I tell people I'm half alien, they don't even believe me! I'm just as much an alien as Johnny is. It's like I'm not even allowed to take ownership of it because my skin is normal.

Anyway, enough ranting. The babies are beautiful, and I'm glad that they are green. I'm going to be a good big sister to them.




Jordan is the oldest. He's a blond like me, Mom, and Johnny. They both have Dad's eyes, just like Aunt Lola and Chloe. They were lucky enough to get Mom's nose, or should I say, a nose, period. Not that Mom's nose is all that big. Sometimes I feel like I don't even have a nose, it's so small and button-like. I know it's such a typical girl thing to whine about your nose, but I wish I'd grow into it, or it would grow into my face, or something. Not that I want Johnny's nose, or anything. That thing has it's own area code.




Jolene has red hair, like Dad and Aunt Chloe. She's so lucky! I love red hair, and it looks awesome with green skin. I'll bet she'll look so cute when she's old enough to grow it out.




Mom and Dad are thrilled. They'll be really busy for the next little while, and I will be too, I'm sure. It's going to be a lot of work for everyone.




I still haven't been able to fully get my head around it. Our family just got so much bigger, so quickly. I should be used to having a big family by now, I guess, but twins! It's crazy.




Speaking of twins, it seems to be something that runs in the family. Oh joy! I'm really looking forward to that, except I'm really not. Well, I don't have to think about having kids for quite some time, so I'll try not to worry about it. Imagine me having babies! Too weird.




I'm saying this, of course, because Uncle Vidcund had twins too! That's the third set in our family now. Uncle Pascal dropped in to see the babies, and he told us all about Uncle Vid's delivery.




He was cleaning the kitchen - no big surprise there! Uncle Vidcund is such a neat freak! There was nobody else around in the house, and the next thing he knows, he's in labour! Crazy, right? He just had to have them there in the kitchen, all by himself.




The firstborn was a boy, just like with Mom and Dad's twins, and Uncle Vid named him Orion. He looks a lot like Uncle Vidcund too. Well, except for the black eyes, black hair, and green skin. In the face, though, he seems very much the same.




Uncle Vid didn't even have time to take Orion to a crib before his little sister popped out too!




The younger twin is named Galaxy. Her eyes are so huge! She's really cute.




My cousin, Mint, also had her toddler transition a while back. She's so adorable! A real little terror, but so cute.




She looks so much like Uncle Pascal! She has different eyebrows, though, really curly hair, and these really sunken cheeks that make her look like she's sucking on a lemon. Too cute!




Those alien ears sure are strange, though. I sure am glad I didn't end up with those. It makes me feel a lot better about my nose, in comparison.




Mint is already showing how much she's like Uncle Pascal in personality too. She spends all of her time working on logic puzzles, even as a toddler! It's too cute.




Uncle Pascal is such a good father too. He's really sweet. Don't tell anyone, but he's totally my favourite uncle. He always asks me how things are going with school, and stuff like that. It makes me feel special. All of my uncles are pretty cool, really. That's why I decided to pursue knowledge just like them. One of these days, I'm going to do something really great.




Dear Diary,

Mom is going to invite Johnny and his friends over for dinner some evening in the next few weeks. I'm so excited because I know that Ripp will be coming for sure! (There is another short coded message here.)




I have to buy something new to wear. I hope Mom will give me some money for it, since I've already spent my allowance for this week. Oh, it's going to be so good! Ripp Grunt! He's so hot. I could just die! (There is another length of coded writing here.)






I was reading the Superstar Report (for the music reviews, of course), and I read about a new way to wear makeup so guys think you look like you've just had sex, and that makes them think about having sex with you. I'm totally going to try it. That should catch Ripp's attention. He's going to love it! There's no way he'll be able to resist me.




Johnny said that he's in a band now too. Could he be any more perfect? I wonder how long his hair is now. His beautiful hair. It's so shiny and soft, and when you lean close enough, you can smell the natural oils in it, and it's so sexy! (There is yet another passage of secret code here.)




Dear Diary,

I haven't seen Buck at school for a couple of days now, and when I call him, there's no answer. I went by his house a couple of times, and the van is there, but the door is locked and all the lights are off. What the fuck is going on? I'm really worried about him.




God, I'm going crazy! If the General grounded him, he has no right to keep him from school too, and if Buck is sick, then why didn't he call me? I have such a bad feeling about all of this.




I just hope everything is okay.








  (Continue to Chapter 14...)

Comments

[music-simbol.livejournal.com]

Where do I begin?

All that secret coding was a cute idea. Hmm, I wonder what it says? (I'm probably being too much of a perv in my thoughts).

Jill and Ripp.....I have to let that stew in the brain for a bit to see if I like it. Will she be the one to tame Ripp? Only time will tell, I suppose. Her crush is perfectly healthy, but in the state that Ripp is in at the moments, I'm not sure if he'd could take anymore drama in his life.

I forgot Buck and Jill were friends. Most of the Strangetown stories that I read usually make him gay, because of his more feminine qualities, so it'll be interesting to see what you do with him.

IT'S A TWINS FRENZY!!! Lots of new faces that I'm sure will develop and cause their own drama in due course. Of course, Techie and Jenny have to be getting up their in age, especially Techie. Course, cheating can help, but I hope they both have enough time to spend some quality time with the new kids.

Uh oh. What's up in the Grunt house? Of course, you pause before getting into it. Where's the fun if you don't torture us with suspense first. The big question being, is the only Buzz gone, or Buzz, his gf, and Buck? Where are they, are they okay?

Here's a good question: Will answers come soon? Probably not. :/

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

The secret code is actually something that I did myself. This whole entry is based on the diary that I kept myself at this age, in fact. *blushes* And yes, you are right in thinking the coded sections are explicit, because they definitely are.

Yeah, it's interesting to see Jill's view of Ripp, knowing what he's actually doing and going through on the other end. And Jill's belief that she knows Ripp better than Johnny does? Well, we know better, don't we? But it is a perfectly normal crush on your best friend's older brother. The other question is whether Ripp can be tamed, period. Jill has certainly selected a difficult target, hasn't she? Well, in one sense, he's an easy target, but will her heart withstand the exchange, if it does happen?

Well, I mentioned that Buck and Jill hung out as children, and Buck mentioned it as a teen, but their friendship hasn't been focussed on much up to this point. As for Buck's sexuality, Jill does know him very well, doesn't she? Do you trust her opinion over that of the assholes in their school? Of course, we'll need Buck to clear this up himself one day.

Yeah, P.T. is getting on in the years, so we don't know how long he'll be around, do we? I do, of course, hold on to the characters until a point which serves my story better, so we'll see about that. I love all the new babies! I'm dying to show them all as toddlers too, but I have to wait a little for the sake of of continuity. *sigh* Continuity, I hate you.

Well, the last image is a clue, isn't it? It's something that Jill doesn't know. And as for everyone else, we'll see. We'll see in the very next chapter, in fact.

[hcraig480.livejournal.com]

That was really good, I liked that it came from Jill's view point. My Jill and Ripp ended up together, for me it was somewhat of an accident. I left them alone and next thing I new there were hearts all over. Great chapter though and I hope buck is alright.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

This is one of the rare chapters that will be told from the first person perspective, but I thought it would work well at this point in the tale, and it would fill us in on the mysteries of Jill Smith all in one go.

You left Jill and Ripp alone together? You'd have to expect him to put the moves on her. He's such a romance sim! *chuckle*

[pulsebeat.livejournal.com]

Okay. Of course, I had to read this from the very beginning. (And I actually started to read when the last chapter had been put up, but I was intimidated by all the lengthy well-thought out comments, which I'm really not sure I can write out like that).

Anyway, I'm really impressed with the story and your story-telling skills. I'd like to know about the process.

Reading this made me want to try my own story, but, well, ha. I'm a little nervous about that too.

Right now, I really want to know what's happened with Buck. He's one of my favorite characters (and it's not just because I hope he's gay.)

Nervous is my other favorite character. Also Pascal. I'm waiting for the two of them to be friends/more.

Also, Olive's story is really intriguing. I can't tell yet if I want her to find her son.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Oh, nice! It's great to have you along for the ride. Don't let the length of the comments scare you. *smile* I have some chatty readers, which I love, but feel free to go with a one-liner too. Feedback is feedback, and it's all great. I really appreciate it.

Hmmm, my process? I might be able to go into more detail on that in another outtake post, which I will possibly do over Christmas, since I will be away from my computer for a couple of weeks. I write some of the bigger events in a plot arc really far in advance, as they occur to me, and some of the smaller episodic details are done on the fly. I write and play and roughly the same rate, but the writing does lead the playing, and not the other way around. Very occasionally, I will let the game contribute something, like how Tank's random crush on Ophelia led to that whole friendship development in the story. Sometimes, as things develop, I change details of my long-term story. I've made a number of big changes like that already, to make it more true to the characters (none of which can be even be hinted at, or else I will just spoil all of the fun).

I think that you should totally try your own story! Don't be nervous. In the end, it's just a sims story, so there is no real pressure on you. It's excellent practice for writing. You could always try your hand at a one-shot short story type thing, which is a lot less overwhelming than a serial (What, me overwhelmed? Nah... it's fun! *smile*)

I love Buck too. He's interesting, for sure, and so different from his brothers. So, you're hoping for gay, are you? We'll see. We really won't know for sure until he tells us. We'll also find out what's going on at the Grunt house in the next chapter.

Everyone loves Nervous Subject! With good reason. He has such an interesting story, and he's such an adorable mess. I like how you said that him and Pascal will become friends/more. You'll have to go join the "more" side over there with Madame Ugly. *grin* Or is everyone on that side? I have no idea...

Yes, one can't help but wonder if it will be a good thing for Olive to find Nervous. We're getting closer to an answer.

[maybemabel.livejournal.com]

Oh no! What's going on in the Grunt household? Is Buck depressed about his family? But then why wouldn't he go to school? I can't wait to find out.

Jill is totally adorable, and she seems like she's a really good friend to Buck.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Yes, very mysterious, isn't it? We'll have to wait and see. I like your suggestion about him being depressed, though, since that does make a certain amount of sense.

I'm glad you liked Jill. She's a nice girl, but she doesn't take crap from anyone either. Buck is very lucky to have Jill there to back him up. A lot of his confidence in himself is a result of her influence.

[squirrel-tamer.livejournal.com]

ah, just wanted to say that i'm reading and i really love this story so far. i don't normally read sim stories, because i find most people are either too image heavy or too word heavy, but you're this insanely awesome medium. plus, your story is just really interesting and its great to see so many familiar people.

also, i adore the Ripp, Johnny and Ophelia trio. I like how they all seem to complement one another. Ripp keeps them on their toes and Johnny mothers them and Ophelia is the voice of reason. Very adorable and I hope that they stick together for whatever crazy ride you're going to send them on.

Tank is really adorable too, and his crush on Ophelia. Too bad it didn't work out for him.

And you've got me all worried about Nervous and what Olive's up too. So many things going on and it seems like the shits about to hit the fan at any minute.

This was a very cute segment. Your good at giving each character their own voice and Jill's just screams average teen. I like that she sticks up for Buck and her crush on Ripp is really adorable too and I hope that it gets more focus later. I'd like to see somebody really catch Ripp's heart and keep it - tame him a little.

So - ah - keep up the good work!

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm glad that you think that I've struck a nice balance between images and text. It veers off towards one or the other at times, but it's usually pretty easy to find an image to drop in to break up a long stretch of text, since the image doesn't have to be an exact illustration, but rather just be there to support the text. Thanks for following along with the story thus far!

I also love the dynamic between Ripp, Johnny, and Ophelia, which is why I focus on it so much. I like your description of the role that each of them plays, and I think it's pretty accurate. Don't worry, they do stick together through thick and thin. Things have to get very messed up to cause a rift there.

Yeah, I feel sorry for Tank in that situation too, but he should be able to bounce back. Tank really is a nice enough guy, but like Ripp, he has a whole bag full of issues to deal with too.

You are very right to worry about Olive and Nervous. Something is about to happen there.

Thanks. I'm glad you liked Jill. She's just your typical teenaged girl, though maybe a little more liberal than most. She certainly has her work cut out for her if she wants to tame Ripp. But Jill is a tough cookie, so who knows?

Thanks. :) I'll try my best.

[franwi.livejournal.com]

Johnny thinks he is so important! He always has to be the centre of attention, and he usually is. It's interesting that Jill sees it that way, because at the time I don't think Johnny actually realized how important he was/is in this friendship trio. Despite Phi and Ripp's connection/bond over their dysfunctional homes, I don't think they would have remained close if it weren't for Johnny. He was their support, and still seems to be. That's a lot to have to shoulder.

Ripp always used to make the dolls kiss each other, and I'm pretty sure that you was trying to tell me something.
That made me tee-hee so much. I love that. Of course Ripp would do that, lol. And Jill reading more into it is adorable.

Oh wow, the depiction of Buck being bullied at school was so good/sad. I like finding that out through Jill. Buck is so sweet, but I can see why he'd keep such things hidden from his own family. I hope he can hang in there. It's nice to know that Jill is there for him at school.

Poor Jill, feeling left out because she's not green. It would be hard to claim those alien genes when she looks so human, but feeling like the alien in your own family is worse.
Not that I want Johnny's nose, or anything. That thing has it's own area code. LOL!! I always wondered where that nose came from. I hope the twins are spared.

Don't tell anyone, but he's totally my favourite uncle. That has me smiling. I'd really like to see another family get together now, with all these babies/toddlers. ;)

Ooh, I hope we get to see the Smith dinner with Johnny & Friends. I feel scared for Jill, because she's expecting a lot from Ripp without really knowing what he's like. I'm afraid she'll be crushed, or worse - used. Hopefully Ripp will have some sense and treat her well, but we've all seen that Ripp can act without thinking, especially when he's under the influence.

I haven't seen Buck at school for a couple of days now, and when I call him, there's no answer. I went by his house a couple of times, and the van is there, but the door is locked and all the lights are off. What the fuck is going on? I'm really worried about him. Oh no! This is so heart-breaking!! What's wrong with Buck? Is this the result of their dinner disaster, or something else?

I'm too addicted to this. I'm always looking for updates. Can't wait for the next one!

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Jill sees Johnny differently as her older brother, but Johnny is also like that with his friends too. It's subtle, but he's definitely the ringleader. They may not have even become friends in the first place if it wasn't for Johnny, since he's the one who just walks right up to you and decides that you're going to be his friend. It's interesting to consider what Ripp and Ophelia would have been like as friends without Johnny in the equation, and you might be right about them not lasting on their own. Well, if Ophelia wasn't Johnny's girlfriend, Ripp might have made a play for her a long time ago, right?

Yeah, Ripp making the dolls kiss is pretty funny. It all comes back to that eventually with Ripp, doesn't it?

That whole situation with Buck getting picked on hits pretty close to home for me. I had (and continue to have) a Buck in my life, so I've been there too. In fact, as I've mentioned already, Jill's diary is pretty inspired from my own. I had a Ripp too, and I wish Jill better luck than I had. *wink* Buck, being the peacemaker that he is in the family, keeps his own troubles to himself, but he does have Jill to confide in.

Yeah, I thought about how Jill would feel as the "normal" half-alien. She's not seeing it as a problem for Johnny, which it certainly can be, but as more of a privilege. She wants to share in that part of her heritage too.

Johnny's nose is just an anomaly. It just shows that he's not really based on P.T. and Jenny's genetics at all. Oh well, we can pretend it's from a grandparent, or something. I thought it would be funny to pick on him a bit there. (And by the way, Jill, have you ever looked at Buck's nose? Or Ripp's?)

Who wouldn't like Uncle Pascal the best? *smile* Yeah, I'd love to do another family gathering too, but you can't bring toddlers over as guests anyway, can you? Maybe we'll see it when they're all kids.

We'll definitely see that dinner a little further along. And it will be interesting to see how things do work out for Jill with Ripp. We really do know how careless Ripp can be, but Jill is also his best friend's sister, so he'll have to keep that in mind, won't he?

It is heartbreaking. Poor Buck. We'll find out what's going on soon. I'll write as quickly as I can.

[saunasims.livejournal.com]

You have singlehandedly made me play Strangetown again. I've not really played that since Nightlife! You've completely made the characters come alive to me. You rock!

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Hoorah! My work here is done. Sharing the Strangetown love is what I'm all about. *grin* I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[jessicus.livejournal.com]

excellent! I'm pleasantly surprised to find a Jill update (although I suppose it was overdue! =}) Secret code, hmmm? makes me curious. Jill having a crush on Ripp is cute but I suspect disappointment could be just around the corner.

what's going on at the Grunt house? I'm on tenterhooks here. =O

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Yes, Jill was long overdue, and this diary-style entry helped to catch us up on all the Curious family gossip too, with all those babies.

Yes, you do have to wonder what the coded writing says, but you'll have to use your imagination for that. *smile* If you could crack it, Jill's diary would be very entertaining to read. She may be going after the wrong guy, for sure, but you never know. They do have certain things in common... like they have that same poster, for one. Important stuff like that. *snicker*

Well, you'll have to wait until next time to find out. All will be revealed shortly.

[madame-ugly.livejournal.com]

Pod-palooza!! How cute is PT9 with those babies? Now I can't wait to breed him in Peculiar (must resist urge to get ahead of myself). And Vidcund's pair. Does Orion look like Fava/Bean? I hope so. That's such a great look. So did you use cheesecake for both? (and I love Mint's hair, very cute).

Jill's diary. *snicker* Writing her name with Ripp's and the secret code part. And apologizing for swearing then addressing her mom ("If you're peeking you deserve it"). Too funny. And the comment about the alien ears ("glad I didn't get those"). So, did you fiddle with her genetics so she'll have some alien genetics should she breed? Maybe have a random regular skin/black eye baby?

How much do I love Buck Grunt (I've said that before, right?). The scenes from school were great. Jill as "fag hag". You've given her so much more personality then I ever did (I was never a huge fan of her).

And the plot thickens. I don't think he did, but did Buck disappear with the General? And what about the General's woman? Did she disappear too? Does she know he's gone? What will Ripp and Tank do when they find out? And will Jill cream her panties when she sees Ripp again? I'm sure the coded diary entry will be VERY long after that.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah! We have podings up the wazoo! *grin* Yes, cheesecake was used for both. I intended it for Jenny, but that greedy little pig, Vidcund, ate it at the party too. I guess it was my fault for serving it at the party. Orion doesn't look exactly like Fava/Bean. He looks more like Vid, meaning that he has his nose and doesn't have the alien sunken cheeks. He's adorable!

Isn't Mint's hair the greatest? That was just the random transition hair, and I've been having very good luck with that. I usually end up keeping it.

Jill's diary was so much fun to write, since I know how embarrassingly bad they can be (mine was just terrible). I like how, when she's trying out her married name with Ripp's, it gets progressively less liberal eache time, until she's Mrs. Ripp Grunt. Way to dissolve into a feminine cliche, Jill! *snicker*

I haven't fiddled with Jill's genetics, but I really should. I have no idea how to do that, but it might be something to look into. I could give her recessive green skin and black eyes, at least. She could also have a recessive red hair trait too. That would be nice.

Yes, you've expressed your Buck Grunt love before. I'm glad to see a lot of that sentiment around here, since I do adore him too. Yeah, Jill's the "fag hag"... or is she? *wink* I've seen others mention a dislike of Jill before (like Simantics really hated her), but I'm not sure why. I can understand her being boring, though, compared to Johnny.

Hmmm, we're not sure if anyone but the General disappeared, are we? And Buck does seem to be inside the house, and least at that point in time. There's no mention of Elise, or any other person that *ahem* the General has been involved with.

What WILL Ripp and Tank do when they find out? That's a very good question.

And well, I think it's obvious that Jill's going to cream her jeans when she sees Ripp again, with his even longer silky hair. She's going to get carpal tunnel syndrome later that night... from writing in her diary, of course! *grin*

[indigoleo.livejournal.com]

Ah, the teen girl's angsty diary! I love her secret code. Reminds me of one of my nieces who actually learned how to write in elvish (that's JRR Tolkien elvish, she got it from one of the appendices) and wrote all her journal entries that way so nobody could read them. And the teen crush on the older guy. I kind of think Jill might be in for a terrible let down. The fantasies are always so much better then the reality, especially when Ripp is going through so much himself at this time, things Jill knows nothing about. Or at least, I think she knows nothing about. I had to snicker over her wanting to wear make-up that makes you look like you just had sex to encourage someone to have sex with you. LOL! So, how do you apply this type of make-up? Put it on carefully then smear the crap out of it? :)

Babies, babies babies! Oh I just love all the babies! Twins are such fun, too, although they can run the family ragged until they grow up.
He was cleaning the kitchen - no big surprise there!
LOL! That is so much like Vidcund! Labor pains? I have time to clean the stove...and the sink...and the counter...and pick up the dirty dishes...or maybe not!
Mint is so sweet looking! I can't wait to see how all the babies look as they get bigger (older).

Ah, poor Buck. There's always something, isn't there? He can't get the attention he wants/needs at home from his father but he can get all kinds of negative attention from people he doesn't need it from. And with his sweet nature I can very well imagine him not fighting back at all. At least he does have Jill to fall back on.

The General has disappeared huh? YAHOOO! Oh, sorry, I mean, what a shame for the Grunt kids. I know Buck must be upset, Tank, I don't know...Tank has followed in his father's footsteps for so long what would he do if the General suddenly wasn't there? Flip out? Ripp, if he's sober, he might feel some remorse...eventually.

I love Jill's dig at her brother's nose and I have to agree, it is a bit long. Your comment about Buck's nose is true too. He has quite the beak on him when he becomes adult. The last time he graced most of his children with it, too. ANd speaking of noses, I noticed in one of the pictures Vidcund looks like he pierced one of the twin's cheek with his! LOL!

Great update as always and I look forward to the next one.
I just have one last word to say.....
Nervous? :)

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

A diary written in elvish? Now that's cool. *smile*

You're right. An idealized crush is never the same as reality, and there is always that moment when you have to acknowledge that fact. That doesn't mean that it might not work out, but whatever happens, Jill will have to see the Ripp that actually exists outside of her mind. You're right too. Jill doesn't really know that much about Ripp. Johnny's probably mentioned a thing or two, but she just brushes that off or chooses to believe that she can somehow change him.

The sexy makeup is likely a lot like that, really. Just kinda smeared and dewy, and makes you looked flushed, with red lips, etc. I imagine something like that, and I'm sure I've seen fashion spreads featuring that exact thing. Notice that Jill is a lot less uptight about sex than Johnny is. She doesn't really sound like she plans to wait for marriage, does she?

That's so Vidcund. *snicker* "Wait, just one more dish..."

Yes, Buck can't really win with that scenario, can he? At least Jill has enough guts to tell the bullies off, and pick up for him. Buck is so softhearted.

Oh no. You're pleased that the General has disappeared? You might reconsider that idea, eventually. It isn't going to be easy on the Grunt boys. They've already lost their mother, so how do you think they'll feel if Buzz goes missing too? Actually, your ideas on the matter are fairly close.

Johnny has one pointy nose. Buck's is even huge as a child, so he doesn't have a prayer, really. Ripp and Tank both have prominent noses too. I happen to like a good strong nose, especially on a man, so it works for me. I find that every male sim I see, in legacies and such, usually have such wussy little noses, and I don't really get off on men with little button noses (plus I know that the female offspring will be getting zero nose action).

*snort* Vidcund is totally piercing that cheek.

Why yes, I am a little nervous... and you? ;)

[sim-insanity.livejournal.com]

8D I was so happy when I saw this (as to why I'm commenting now is beyond me)

on another somewhat off topic note: how do you get your sims to comfort each other? Cause try as I might I can't figure out how.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

The comforting interaction is known as the "consolable cry", and can be achieved using the black box, a machinima production tool, found here. I believe that the interaction can also be made available using boolprop, though I've never done it that way. It's pretty easy to do. You instruct the first sim to do the consolable cry, and if the second sim has a high enough relationship with them, they will get the option to "console" when you click on the first sim.

It's such an essential tool when you have a cast of weepers like I do, and I find the game is just generally lacking in interactions where two sims touch each other in a non-romantic way (I wanna touch people, dammit! *ahem* Sorry...). I end up using those interactions for different reasons, and just angling them to hide the dumb grin, or whatever else would ruin it.

I'm glad to be able to bring a smile to your face. :) Cheers!

[80sfiend.livejournal.com]

Aww this entry was so cute! I love Jill! She's adorable. And I've already let on about my Ripp and Jill shipping. ;) I could really see him going for her once he's older (and so is she) and has his shit together better etc. I love the diary perspective and the coding stuff (such a preteen/teen thing to do!). And I love that you left us with a cliff hanger again. :D

Also, the babies are cute! :D

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Oh no... now I have shippers to deal with? *grin* Actually, that is just perfect. I love it when people are getting into the relationships. It makes it so much better when things actually happen in the story. I definitely have plenty of things planned surrounding this crush of Jill's.

Who knows where it will go? Jill and Ripp don't seem like they would be such a bad match, do they? Waiting for Ripp to get his shit together might be a bit of an uphill struggle though... and don't hold your breath expecting his aspiration to change (since I have no intention of ever doing so). We'll always have that to deal with. ;)

I love all the little green babies! So cute! And they have some really nice extreme alien personalities too.

[aledstrange.livejournal.com]

OH dear! eek! What's up at the Grunts!? ... (gotta read faster here lol)
Anyways. I was suspecting something on Jill about Ripp, can't blame her, can we??
Buck and Jill are always the perfect friends, i'm loving the relation you created for them here. Love it! it's sooo sweet! <3 The idea of the pink/green shirts was genius. LOL!
I always feel bad for Jill, coz she actually doesn't even have Alien genes, so unless she's the result of some secret affair Jenny had around, she should have at least recessive alien genes, so she has on my game, I changed her dna with simpe and the same with Johnny, so he has recessive genes from Jenny. It's only fair. ;)

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Well, I can't blame Jill for having that crush at all! I'm sure I would be the same way, if I were her. :P

Yeah, I think that Jill and Buck make perfect friends too. She's just spunky enough to bring him out of his shell without scaring him to death. They are pretty similar.

You know, I'm not sure if I agree with giving Jill recessive alien traits (for my own purposes, at least). The alien genes are definitely dominant, so I would assume that if they aren't expressed, then you don't have them. Just like blond people usually do not have recessive genes for black hair. That's how it goes. Johnny really should have recessive genes for normal sim skin and blond hair, but I'd only go as far as giving Jill a recessive trait for red hair, and writing the rest off as a genetic anomaly.

[missgan.livejournal.com]

Aww, Jill! I'm glad she's finally got the spotlight on her own & that Johnny isn't around the house to take it away - glad to see that she's grown up to be such a great girl, and an excellent friend!
Her crush on Ripp isn't very surprising, but I just don't see a future for them - with Ripp's aspiration & behaviour, I'm afraid it might all end in tears. D:

Poor Buck! I expected him to get bullied in school but it's hard to watch it actually happening. It's great that he's got Jill to stick up for him. They make such a great pair, and I'm sure they're going to be very firm friends for life! :D

The alien babies are too cute! Orion & Galaxy are awesome names. I'm glad to see more of Mint too! :D
Oh, and I love Pascal's makeover + new glasses! I know it was introduced in an earlier chapter but forgot to mention it till now!

[ohflark.livejournal.com]

To tell you the truth I kind of forgot about Jill. It was nice to have an update on her though :)

"It's such a pain in the hole"

:x haha

[pnkpnthr334.livejournal.com]

I loved this entry! It was super cute!

"I was reading the Superstar Report (for the music reviews, of course), and I read about a new way to wear makeup so guys think you look like you've just had sex, and that makes them think about having sex with you. I'm totally going to try it. That should catch Ripp's attention. He's going to love it! There's no way he'll be able to resist me."

That was seriously great! I have a feeling all of those coded messages had something to do with that. LoL

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

Buck's could have been like "Real men wear pink", or something, and mine could be "Alien and proud - get used to it".

- I know you make cc - can you make t-shirts for the sims that say this? Esp the alien one?

And poor Buck! I like little Jill - she can take on the world for Buck.

the twins

[(Anonymous)]

i was wondering how you made jennys twins aliens because when i make her or ophelia have techie or jhonnys babys there always black or have tanned skin, I WANT MORE ALIENS!!

Re: the twins

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

The genetic data for many of the Strangetown sims had errors in it, but it was corrected with a later EP, so I didn't do anything myself. I just happened to have the updated version of the Smiths, where the DNA is not completely messed up.

I think you can fix it in SimPE, even if you have an earlier version. It's not really hard, but I'd recommend reading a couple of SimPE tutorials first.

[olivethegreat.livejournal.com]

!!!
I must know what is wrong with Buck. =( He is so sweet. I love that Jill sticks up for him.

[holleyb76.livejournal.com]

I LOL'd at Jill's "secret code" I can just imagine what she wrote ;)
I haven't played much with Strangetown. This story makes me want to go play it!

[pixelcurious]

I know I said I don't mind reading this without the pictures but I'm dying here with all the unseen babies! I'll just have to use my minty green imagination for now.