Strangetown: Chapter Seventeen - part two

[strangetomato]

 

Warnings: language, sexual situations, drug use


Chapter Seventeen

Part Two


As everyone settled in for dinner, and began to pick up their plates, Tank slipped away to wash his hands.




He usually washed them immediately after he entered a house from outside, and especially before eating, but he also wanted to take a minute to collect his thoughts.




Johnny had picked up on this fact, and had taken this opportunity to corner Tank.




Tank jumped a little when he realized that Johnny was standing right behind him, with his piercing green eyes boring a hole through his head. Johnny regarded him coldly for a moment, but didn't say anything.

"Johnny?" He asked, tentatively. "Do you -"




Before he could finish the thought, Johnny was shoving him across the room.






As loudly as one could say something and still whisper, Johnny told Tank exactly what he thought of him and then some.




"And don't turn around and take it out on Ripp again, either!" He added. "He told me not to even get involved."

"Well, then maybe you shouldn't." Tank risked.

"I don't think that you're going to tell me what to do, Tank! Or do I not recall the outcome of our last confrontation correctly?"

"No." He recalled it correctly, as did Tank. He wouldn't soon forget it.




"I'm not going to do anything to you, but that's only - ONLY - because Ripp asked me not to. Otherwise, I would deal with you the only way you seem to understand."

Tank said nothing, but glared back at Johnny.

"If you ever - EVER - touch him again, I will kill you. Simple as that." The look on Johnny's face was unmistakable. He meant what he was saying.




"Why don't you let Ripp handle his own problems, Johnny? I don't think he needs you to fight his battles for him anymore."

"You wouldn't understand, Tank. His battles are my battles too, and you'd better remember it."

After a few moments, Johnny shook himself off and said. "Now let's go out there and smile and eat dinner together as if this didn't happen. If you breath so much as a word about it -"

"Yeah, I got you, Johnny." Tank confirmed.

They left the room and joined the others at the table.




The Grunt, Smith, and Nigmos families were all gathered around the table together as a single unit for the very first time.

Jenny led the conversation. "So how is everything going at college for everyone?"

"There's going to be a big production coming up next semester." Johnny said. "They haven't decided on a play yet, but I've heard some whispers about it."




"Yeah, Oscar Wilde, or some shi- or something like that." Ripp added.

"The costumes would be interesting, if that's what they go with." Buck said with a smile.

"Unless they contemporize it, or something equally lame." Johnny rolled his eyes. "They're always doing "innovative" things like changing the genders, or setting it in a different culture now. They might even do that minimal black stage thing."




"Isn't that kind of outdated now?" Buck asked.

"Yeah, but some of the proffs worked back when it was popular, so don't try to tell them that! It's so annoying..."




"By the way, Ripp..." He added. "You might want to audition for that this time. At the scheduled time."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah... I always get my shi- stuff done, Johnny!"

"Just barely." Jenny gave Johnny an evil motherly eye, and he said nothing more.

"How about you, Tank? Ophelia?" Jenny attempted to include the quieter members of the group in the conversation.

"Oh, it's mostly just exams and essays for me, Jenny. Nothing too exciting." Ophelia said.

"How about you, Tank?"

"Much the same." Jenny furrowed her brow. Tank was so taciturn.




"I can't wait until we finally get to go to college." Jill cut in. "It's going to be some much fun!"

"That's right." Jenny said. "You two will be taking your exams soon, won't you? Time sure does fly. I'm sure Buck will have you whipped into shape for those exams... right, Buck?"

Buck laughed, nervously. "Yeah, sure, Mrs. Smith." Jill didn't exactly like focusing on studying for exams, no matter how much he insisted on it.

"Buck's such a good student." Jenny smiled, making Buck blush.




P.T. thought carefully, and then spoke to the Grunts.

"Boys, I do hope that our families will be allies to each other in the future, rather than enemies, as has sometimes been the case in the past." He paused for a moment, and then continued.

"I would like to propose that we agree to strive for that goal."




"Of course." Buck said.

"Well, you know what I think, P.T." Ripp said, smiling broadly. "I've been here since day one..."




Tank said nothing. The alien man made him uncomfortable, and anyone could see it.

He respected the General's opinions, and he was reluctant to disregard his father's thoughts on this matter. Sure, the Smiths were nice people, but P.T. No. 9 was an alien, and he might not have the best interests of the sims in mind.

"Tank, don't be a... the man is looking for a reply." Ripp said. "The polite thing to do would be to fu- would be saying something."

"I... I will try, Mr. Smith." He said.

"I don't expect your loyalty to be handed over so easily, Tank, but I do thank you for agreeing to give us a chance. You'll have to decide for yourself, son."

Tank stiffened at the use of the word "son", but nodded in agreement.




"That's okay, Tank." Jenny said, as he began washing up some dishes. "We''ll take care of these dishes later, after everyone leaves. Just leave them in the sink"

"Okay." Tank said, quietly. Cleaning up after himself came to him automatically. He hadn't even thought about it.

"Now, let's bring out this pie!" Jenny smiled. Everyone marveled at how good it was.




"This is killer pie, Buck!" Ripp smiled with an intense grin.

"Thanks, Ripp. It turned out well, didn't it?"




"It's really, really great, Buck. Really great. Really sweet..."




The pie was so sweet and juicy, Ripp had to resist the urge to eat it with his bare hands, getting the warm filling all over his mouth and face, and licking his fingers afterwards. He managed to control himself, though just barely. He contented himself to just fork as much of it into his mouth as he possibly could at one time.




And the pie wasn't even the sweetest thing in the room.




"Johnny, I'd like to speak with you in private for a minute when you're finished, if that's okay." P.T. said.

"Sure, Dad. Once I finish my pie."

When the pie was eaten, P.T. took him aside.




"So, how are things going with your decision, Johnny?" His father asked him, after they had stepped into the study for some privacy.




"Well..." Johnny began, knowing that he hadn't exactly been giving the prospect as much attention as his father would have wanted. "Jayne seems pretty nice. I've been hanging out with her a little."

"Are you any closer to reaching a decision?"

"Well, no, Dad." He frowned. "Don't I still have a couple of terms left at college? Do I have to get married the day I graduate, or something?"




"No, but I would like to see some grandchildren before I die, Johnny." He smiled, but Johnny just frowned at the thought of losing his father.

Yes, okay, I know that. I'll try to give it some more thought."

"Also..." P.T. began. "I can't help but notice that you're still dating Ophelia."




"Ummm..."

"You are, aren't you?"

"Well, yes, but what does that have to do with it?"




"Johnny, when do you plan to tell her?"

"I don't want to tell her! What if I don't want to marry Jayne, Dad?! What if I'd rather marry Ophelia?"

"I thought you said that you weren't that serious?"




"Well, I guess I didn't think that we were, but I think we might be. I don't know, Dad."

"Be careful, Johnny. You might do something that you can't take back."




"Dad, I'm not going to do that." Johnny huffed. "Especially not until I figure out the situation with Jayne."

"Well, that's the smart thing to do, son. You don't need to complicate things any further, and you know that it would."

"I know."




"I hope that you're giving this some serious thought, Johnny. It is serious. Very serious. The survival of our species depends on it. If our genes are slowly dilluted into the pool of normal sim genes, all my life's work will have been for nothing."




Johnny hadn't though of it like that. His father had devoted his entire life to his pollination career. His offspring, Johnny's countless half-siblings, were out there somewhere, and the intention had obviously been to keep them around. His father spoke again.




"Maybe this decision should take more than just your feelings into account, Johnny." He said. "I know it sounds hard, but if you think that it could work with Jayne, then maybe you should let Ophelia be free to marry one of her own kind."




Johnny couldn't help it. He was starting to cry. "But we're the same kind, Dad. We really are."

"Johnny." P.T. put his arm around Johnny's shoulder. "It's not really true. We can live among them, and form relationships with them, but we aren't really sims. We aren't the same."




Johnny couldn't accept that. How could he be any different than Ripp and Ophelia? They were the same. They were all different, as different people are, but underneath it all, they were exactly the same. Didn't they want the same things?




They just wanted to belong somewhere, and with his two friends, Johnny felt like he did belong. He felt at home. He didn't want that to change. He didn't want anything to change. And what his father said about letting Ophelia be free to be with her own kind was awful. What was he supposed to do? Let Ripp have her? Is that what his father meant?




Johnny couldn't accept that. The thought of his two friends, together, without him. And Ripp, well what if he did the same thing to Ophelia that he did to every other girl that he had been with? How could he possibly be any different with her? If Johnny broke up with Ophelia, was it inevitable that she would fall directly into Ripp's open, eager arms? Into his well-trafficked bed?




"Johnny, I'm sorry. I'm not saying that you can't keep your friends in your life. Not at all. That is important too, but our kind has always valued the needs of all above the needs of the individual. We take on the role that is most beneficial to the greater cause. That's how it always is in our culture. And for you, that role would be to have a family with another half alien, like yourself. That serves the goals of our species."

Johnny said nothing more.




P.T. held Johnny in a warm embrace.

"I know that you will do the right thing for us."




Upstairs, Ripp was saying goodbye to his dinner even more quickly than he had eaten it.






He cleaned himself off, swirled some water around in his mouth a couple of times, spit it out, and then drank directly from the faucet for a couple of minutes. His mouth was as dry as Strangetown sand.




Afterwards, as he was leaving the bathroom, he noticed Jill heading out to the balcony. Instinctively, he reacted as he would if she were any other attractive female. He followed her.




Jill's heart leapt into her throat when she realized that he had walk out onto the balcony. She froze, breathless.




"Hi, Jill." Ripp said. "What're you up to out here?"

"Oh, nothing. Just getting away from the crowd. You know..." She hoped that sounded casual.

"Yeah..." He sat down in the other chair.




"So, Johnny said that you're in a band now - The Shifting Paradymes? How's that going?"

"Oh... it's going. We play the campus bar all the time, and we're hoping to get a few paid gigs in the city too."

"I wish I could go to see you play..."




"You should... Come see us sometime."

"Mom would never let me."

"So sneak out." He winked at her, and Jill felt herself grow flush.




After a few moments of silence, she said. "So... I'm sorry about your Dad." Ripp was silent. "It's terrible. I hope that everything is okay..."

He sat there, gazing off into the distance, with a blank stare. It could have been interpreted as completely vacant, but Jill could tell that there was something going on beneath the surface. He seemed so sad. He couldn't possibly have been any more beautiful to Jill.

"Thanks, Jill." He finally said, somewhat absently. "But enough about that. How are things with you?"




"Oh, you know. The same as always." She said quickly, brushing the attention away from herself.

She jumped up. "What a beautiful night..."




She walked by, knowing that he would be watching her.

Ripp watched her petite frame move carefully across the balcony. She was no longer the scrawny little girl that he remembered. Her form was filling out into the woman that she was becoming. When had this transformation taken place? Had he been asleep? When had Jill Smith become such a beautiful woman?

She felt him watching her. His eyes gave off an almost physical presence. She swayed her hips as she walked, hoping that she looked seductive, and not silly.




By the time she reached the end of the balcony, she realized that Ripp had followed behind her.




"Nice view, isn't it?" Jill remarked, jokingly. "My favourite part is the silhouette of those beautiful oil tanks on the horizon over there."

"Oh, just gorgeous." Ripp laughed. "God. Strangetown is such a fucking shithole."

"I know. I can't wait to go to college so I can get the hell out of here."

"I know exactly how you feel, Jill." Ripp smiled. "I was the same way."

"Thank god I'll graduate soon. I would die if I had to spend another year with those assholes. Every guy in my class is a total moron."




"Guys can be idiots. Most of them don't have a fucking clue what to do with a woman, especially at that age." Jill smiled, since Ripp had obviously called her a woman.

"No kidding."

"They probably all like you. They're just intimidated by how fucking pretty you are."

"You think I'm pretty?"

"Well, fuck yeah. Why wouldn't I? You have that perfect alien bone structure."




Jill smiled. Not only had Ripp called her a woman, and pretty, but he had also acknowledged that she was an alien.

"If I went to school with you, I wouldn't be such an idiot about it."

Was he moving closer to her? He was. He got closer and closer until he was close enough that she could feel the heat that radiated from his body.




And his lips were grazing hers.

She couldn't believe that she was actually kissing Ripp Grunt.




"I've always liked you, Ripp." Jill said, feeling her skin tingle at the admission of this fact.

"I like you too, Jill." Ripp had always liked Jill, even when she was a little girl. Not in the same sense that he found himself liking her now, but he had always liked it when she was around. She brought a certain lightness into the room, just like Johnny did, and she was always so attentive to all of the nonsense that he carried on with.

"You're beautiful." He added, which he also believed to be true.

"God, I'm shaking..." Jill said.




He kissed her forehead, as one would comfort a child, but then he moved his hands over her shoulders and down her back, following the line of her zipper. Jill thrilled at the idea of his hands unzipping that zipper, and removing her dress. She wanted his hands to touch more and more of her.




"I've wanted this for a long time." She said.

Ripp didn't know what to say, so he just stared intently into her eyes.

"I... I want you, Ripp." She had stumbled over it a little, almost saying "love", but knowing that this was the wrong thing to say, at least for now.

"I want you too, Jill." Ripp was moving his hands over her back. "God, I want you."

Then his lips were on hers. He pulled her into a forceful kiss.




It wasn't anything at all like she had expected the moment to be, but it was exciting. It was rough and sloppy, and searching. His tongue frantically explored her mouth, and she thrilled at the idea of a part of his body entering hers. His hands moved down her back, over her hips, and all over her backside. He pressed his body tightly and urgently against hers.

It might not have been as she'd imagined it so many times before, but it was better than that in the way that was most important.






It was real.






Neither of them noticed when Johnny stepped onto the patio, and silently approached them.

Finally, Johnny coughed, drawing attention to himself, and Ripp jumped. He quickly pulled himself away from Jill.




"Ripp," Johnny began, "I think that Ophelia wanted to see you. Downstairs. Right now."

"Johnny, I -"

"You'd better go."

"Yeah..." Ripp left, and Jill stood there waiting for Johnny's reprimand. She knew it was coming.




"Look, I know what you're going to say..."




"Jill, you don't know anything!" Johnny yelled. "You know nothing about Ripp! And you seem to have no fucking idea what you're doing!"




"I know plenty, Johnny!"




"Look, Ripp Grunt is not someone you want to get involved with, okay?! He's only interested in one thing!"

"Isn't he supposed to be your friend, Johnny? You seem happy enough to hang out with him, so is he really that bad? Besides, what makes you think that I'm NOT interested in that?!"




"God, Jill! Do you think that you're that special?! Ripp's been with so many different women! You'll just be another conquest to him. Do you really want to give it up like that?"

"Well, Johnny, it's mine to give up, isn't it? What makes you think that this has anything to do with you?"




"Jill, you're my little sister, okay? I'm just not comfortable with the idea of you letting Ripp have his way with you, and then having him toss you aside like a candy bar wrapper!"

"How can you be so sure that he'd do that?"




"Look, Jill! You're just proving my point. I know Ripp, and I know exactly what he's like. He is my friend, but I don't really agree with everything he does, and I really don't want to see my sister on the receiving end of it!"

"Fine! Okay! Whatever you say, Johnny!" Jill screamed. "God, you suck the fun out of everything, Johnny."




"You'll thank me one day, Jill, for being so awful and terrible to you."




Johnny turned and left her standing there.




Downstairs, Ripp stepped out onto the porch where Ophelia was sitting.




"Johnny's going to kill me." Ripp said as he sank down into the chair next to Ophelia.




"Why would he do that, Ripp?"

"Well..." He sighed. "I sort of, maybe, just kissed his little sister."




"You kissed Jill?!"

"No, I kissed Jolene - of course it was Jill, Phi!"




"Well, that's not that bad... she's like, what, sixteen now, right?" She paused, then stressed. "She IS sixteen, right, Ripp?"




"No, he was pissed, Phi! He was really fucking pissed off." Ripp's eyes widened in fear. "I'm a dead man."

"Ripp, are you out here?"

Ripp jumped, but it wasn't the clarion call of an angry Johnny Smith. It was Tank's impatient grumbling.




"There you are! You're not easy to track down."

"What's up, Tank?"

"We're going over to the house." He indicated to Buck. "To check things out."

"You're going to come too, right, Ripp?" Buck added.




Ripp staggered to his feet.

"Why the fuck would we want to do that, Tank?"

"We haven't even set foot in the place for weeks. Someone should check up on it." He paused. "And we might be able to make some sense of the situation." Tank was planted firmly in place. Ripp wasn't going to talk him out of it.




"We can't just fucking take off without saying goodbye, Tank!" Ripp said, though he felt that fleeing the scene of the crime was exactly what he wanted to do.

"It's okay." Buck said. "We told the Smiths that we were going. And we already said goodbye."

"So, are you coming, or aren't you, Ripp?!" Tank said, growly ever more impatient.

"Well..." He looked at Ophelia, as if to ask permission.




"It's okay, Ripp. You go on. I'll talk to Johnny."

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"Yes. You should go with your brothers." She looked over at them, but tried not to meet Tank's eyes. "I'll handle Johnny. It's probably better that way."

"Handle Johnny?" Tank asked.

"Mind your own business, Tank." She said, firmly.




She hugged Ripp. His pulse was racing.

"Don't worry about it, okay?" She tried to reassure him.

He let out a heavy sigh, but said nothing. Then he joined his brothers, and they headed down the road.




"God, I can't deal with life tonight!"

Johnny was already in the middle of throwing a fit when he stepped onto the porch. "What is wrong with Ripp? He doesn't have the sense he was born with! He doesn't even have one tiny shred of self control!"

"Johnny, it wasn't such a big deal, was it? He just kissed her."

"Is that what he told you?! He was groping her, Phi! All over! There were hands everywhere! Everywhere, Phi! He was about a minute away from having his hand up her skirt, and -"

"Johnny." Phi said. "You have to calm down."




"Just relax, Johnny." Ophelia reached for his shoulders and began rubbing them. "Everything will be fine."

Everything will be fine. Johnny wanted that to be true. Ophelia had a way of making it seem like everything would be fine. She was so calm and rational about things, where Johnny found himself going off the deep end over the slightest upset. The sound of her voice alone could soothe him.

With her, things really could be fine. Johnny wanted it to be that way.




And he wanted Ophelia. He wanted to be with her. How could that be the wrong thing to do?

He took her into his arms.




"I love you, Ophelia."

"Oh, Johnny..." She smiled. "I love you too."






The Grunts walked towards what was once their home. Like everything else the military issued, it was standard fare. Every one of those houses was sturdily built, but as plain as white bread, and had exactly the same layout inside. The only thing that distinguished it from the others were the people who had lived inside it and their handful of belongings.

Now only their possessions remained inside, like artifacts to prove that they had, in fact, once lived here as a family. Not that those objects really told the whole story.

"Well, here it is."

They stood and looked at it for a moment, and then went inside to look around.




Tank sat down and examined the newspaper from the day that their father had disappeared, as if to look for clues, while Ripp and Buck leaned into each other to keep from falling over.

"God, I hate this place even more now." Ripp said. "We should just light a fucking match and walk away. Then we could just move on with our lives."

"We couldn't do that, Ripp."




"Yeah, I know." Ripp turned to hug Buck, while Tank stood up from the chair and headed towards them.




"So, what's the damage, Buck?" Tank inquired. "Who's looking for answers around here?"




"Well, as you can imagine, the police want to questions us, as does the military." Buck paused. "And then, there's Elise..."




They were all silent, and then suddenly, as if on cue, Elise Pearson was standing in the doorway.

"Speak of the devil." Ripp said.




"I've been calling for almost two weeks." She said. "What exactly is going on here?"




"Our father is missing." Ripp said. "He's gone."






Elise's face twisted into a horrible expression of grief, and she completely broke down, sobbing uncontrollably. The Grunts observed her, each thinking that the most human thing to do would be to go up to her and try to comfort her, but not one of them could bring himself to do it.

After some time, she pulled herself together, and Ripp stepped forward to speak to her.




"Look, Elise - We're sorry. We don't exactly fucking want this either, but there is nothing that can be done about it now. He's gone."




"And I'm also sorry for what I called you at dinner that night." He added. "You're not a bitch. Or, at least, I don't whether you are or not. I hardly fucking know you at all."




He smiled. "And you're not even really that skinny."

Elise took a step back at the last remark, but Ripp said nothing more.




Though he knew that Ripp had probably meant it as a compliment, Buck shuddered at how badly the apology had must have come across to Elise.




"So, that's it?"

"Well, you'll have to speak to the police too. No doubt about it." Tank said. "We'll be giving them your name."

"You think I had something to do with it?!"

"We don't know if you did or if you didn't." Tank said, coldly. "But, as of right now, you're clearly a suspect."




"I don't know anything about it!" She wailed. "Why would I be here right now if I knew anything? You have to believe me!"

"We'll be leaving those decisions up to the police. You are most definitely a suspect." Tank reiterated.




"I believe you, Elise." Buck said, quietly. "You'd have to be a very good actor to come here, and say all this, if you did have anything to do with it."




She looked at the three of them, and thought of what might have been. This could have been her family, if things had gone differently.

"I can... stay and help... if you want me to." Elise said, cautiously.

"Thank you for your offer." Tank said, kindly, as he moved to stand next to his brothers. "But it's okay, Elise."




"We will be fine."




Just up the hill, across the road from the home of the Grunts, the Beaker mansion stood as dark and foreboding as it always had.




Inside the pit, Nervous Subject struggled to keep the last strands of his sanity from breaking. The solitude was beginning to wear on him.

The Beakers had been mostly ignoring him, even forgetting to feed him at times, since Circe had confirmed her pregnancy.




Circe had initially reacted to the situation with her usual charm and goodwill.




But she quickly grew pleased by the idea of carrying on the family line. Loki was beside himself with joy. Between the project in the tower upstairs, and the baby on the way, he couldn't be happier.

The only thing that could distract him from all the joy in his life was the trouble with Nervous, and he chose to mostly ignore this problem.




Nervous Subject's mind was hanging by a thread.

Well, maybe it was hanging by five threads. One for each of the different voices in his head.




The voices, the voices, the voices. All day long, it was the voices, and all night, it was the dreams. The terrible nightmares. It never ended.

If the Beakers paid more attention to him, they may have noticed the severity of the situation. Instead, they responded to his mumblings and moaning by upping the dosage of his medication yet again.




Everything seemed bright and sunny after that, at least on the surface, and that was good enough for Loki and Circe. They were hardly concerned about how this would effect Nervous, since he was becoming more and more of a bother to them, now that they had a project to work on and a baby on the way.

The drugs might not have been doing Nervous Subject any good, but they served the purposes of the Beakers. They kept him quiet.




Outside the stone walls of the Beaker mansion, Olive Specter stood watching from a distance.




Olive was ready. Her plan wasn't complicated. It was bold, aggressive, and not entirely her style, but it would do the job with quick and perfect violence. She was waiting for the right moment to carry it out, which was now upon her. She would act the following evening.

She would kill them both, and take back her son.








  (Continue to Chapter 18...)

Comments

[redqueenofevil.livejournal.com]

YES!!!! Hurry, Olive! I hope she rescues Nervous with style.


Visiting the Grunt house was a good idea. It definitely answered the question of Elise's happenings.

And Johnny needs to come clean with Ophelia. His anger might subside a little, if he did. Afterall, the micromanaging of his sister just seems a tad hypocritical if he's a two timing kind of guy himself.


And poor Tank. He can't get any slack from anyone, so now he has to get grief from Johnny?

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Olive Specter does everything with style, but it won't be pretty to watch. That's for sure.

Well, I couldn't let Elise completely vanish without a trace, could I? From the point of view of the Grunt brothers, she really could be a suspect. They don't know what we do. And returning to the house helps to put everything into perspective for the boys.

Hmmm, is that hypocritical? I'm sure that Johnny doesn't see it that way. Johnny is caught up in trying to be the hero, and in being everything to everyone, which may be impossible. He doesn't see what he's doing as being comparable to Ripp's behaviour, and he does have a certain point. He hasn't done anything with Jayne, so he isn't, in fact, two-timing anyone. He's just not being completely honest.

You can see it from Tank's point of view more easily there, can't you? Johnny isn't blameless in their conflict, and he has always had the upper hand there too. Tank did cross a line, and Johnny isn't seeing Ripp's part in it, or forgiving Tank quite as easily as Ripp did.

[music-simbol.livejournal.com]

OMG! OMG! OMG!! Just wanted to be first! I'll be back!

[music-simbol.livejournal.com]

Ok, so I wasn't first, but get ready for lots of comments!

Maybe it's the fact that you've shown things from Tank's point of view that allows me to feel sympathy for him. Which made Johnny confronting him a bit extreme. It's completely valid, Johnny wants to defend his best friend against the guy who could have killed him, but when I see Tank, I can't help but feel pity.

I can relate with Ripp on the cursing. I'll be talking to my grandmother, and "shit" comes out, and I'll stop and apologize. I constantly have to censor my sailor mouth.

I still have no idea who Johnny is going to end up with. I'd be happy either way. I like Jayne and Ophelia, but at the same time, I don't want either to get hurt. I feel like Johnny might eventually cave in to his father's wishes and marry Jayne, but only after talking to Ophelia and explaining everything. Either that, or he'll walk in on Ripp and Ophelia getting it on or something.

I don't think Ripp meant anything bad to happen. As you say, Ripp is always one to straightforward with women he finds attractive. I just think that Ripp hadn't seen Jill in so long that he was a bit ill-prepared to dealing with someone he found attractive. Of course, Jill was hoping for this to happen. As any teen, she wants to kiss and all that jazz, and who else to kiss and such but with your older brother's best friend? I'm not sure if Jill will be the one to tame the monster that is Ripp's libido, or even if Johnny will allow it (not that he really has any say, but you know what I mean). Only time will tell, I suppose.

A thought just occurred to me. I don't remember if PT discussed it when he was talking to Johnny for the first time about Jayne, but does he also have someone in mind for his daughter? She's half alien too, though she's the only one without green skin. If PT attempts to arrange Johnny's marriage, would he do the same for Jill? And the twins as well? (If he makes it that way, crossing fingers!)

Looks like Tank is taking over the role of the head of the family. Whether or not Ripp and Buck will accept this, shall be interesting to watch. Tank is right about Elise though, no one but Olive knows what really happened, so all eyes will of course be on those closest to him. (Elise's motive being jealousy, possibly. Lord knows that Ripp technically has a motive, so I hope he has an alibi).

Poor Nervous. Poor unborn spawn. From the looks of it, the next update will be a mighty big one (unless you draw things out, and literally kill me from the suspense! you don't want that on your conscience, do you?)

(Olive has no eyebrows, just noticed that). As much as I want the Beakers to burn in hell for all eternity, I do wonder if there is some hope for the baby. It's not his/her fault that s/he came from two assholes.

I'll shut up now. :D

[indigoleo.livejournal.com]

Great update as always.
I have to say I really, really love the pictures. I think I could look at each one and point out something great about them. I know I said it before but I love some of the faces you catch on your sims. Let's see, how about a few favorites from this part?
Jill's sidelong glance at Ripp during dinner. Could she look any more like she's crushing for the guy? The one of Johnny with his dad after PT ask him how things were going with Jayne. "Uh, well, ummm", *snort*. The look on Johnny's face when he tells Jill she'll thank him one day (I'm willing to bet that day's a long way off!). Ripp with his arms crossed when Elise walks in the door. And Circe look of 'calm and goodwill' at the baby pop.

Boy, Johnny has just run the gamut of emotions tonight, hasn't he? I like that he's so protective of his friends and family. Of course, sometimes he's a bit over protective, too. His confrontation with Tank in the bathroom was great. His trying to talk sense to his sister was good, too. I doubt very much she'll listen to him although his advice is sound.
"Well, that's not that bad... she's like, what, sixteen now, right?" She paused, then stressed. "She IS sixteen, right, Ripp?"
Ha, ha! Johnny's gonna kill me! Oh, Ripp, you really need to learn to keep it in your pants once in awhile. You are going to get into so much trouble. Speaking of trouble, Johnny really has his own delimma to deal with and soon it seems. I'm very interested to see how that works out. If he'll go with his father's wishes or if he'll stay with Ophelia. If he was more like Ripp he could try both at once but I can't see Johnny going that way.

Olive was ready. She would kill them both, and take back her son. Oh, oh, oh. All hell is going to break loose soon in Strangetown. I hope she hurries before Nervous looses what's left of his mind. I don't think he's got much left. I hope you let us know what voices he's hearing although I think I know who one of those voices may be.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Thank you. Some of those pictures were tricky. The scene in the hallway of the Grunt home, most notably. Even with the freewill off, sims will move out of the way randomly, so I had to do a lot of shuffling around there for something that seemed like it should have been easy.

Yeah, they give some good expressions sometimes, don't they? I just have to have my trigger finger ready to capture them (and well, make them do a tonne of interactions to get the right face). I still can't believe that Circe actually had that furious face when she popped! I didn't use the black box to do that - she was just angry when it happened. Too funny. I have another instance of that happening for some outtakes, and it's even funnier (probably because it's really out of character).

Johnny was all over the map of emotion. It was a big night for him. He's very protective but he might go a bit far with it, to the point of meddling. It's hard for him to sit back and let people run their own lives, if he thinks that he could do a better job. But is he really as competent as he seems to think? Jill doesn't think he knows any better than she does, and that's for sure. Tank also didn't need to be told what Johnny told him, did he?

Ripp doesn't think with his head enough (at least, not the head with a brain in it). He'll probably wake up in a few more beds that he didn't intend to be in, before his life is over. He's naturally like that, and with his unstable emotional state after Buzz disappeared, and his chosen method of dealing with it, he ends up being even more likely to do something regrettable. He definitely forgot all about Johnny during that exchange with Jill, and he's even more afraid because of how calm Johnny was when he found them. He expects him to go off like an atomic bomb (and he might).

Yes, Johnny has to figure that out, and it won't be an easy thing to do while trying to stick to his morals. Initially, he might have been just holding on to Ophelia as a back-up, or to keep her from Ripp, but that has changed. He really does feel for her, and at the same time, he wants to do what his father wants. As much as he might want it to be true, he can't have it both ways.

All will be revealed shortly... I hope it lives up to the expectations. I'm a bit "nervous".

[madame-ugly.livejournal.com]

You've made Johnny Smith exactly the kind of unlikable character I always pictured him as. He's two faced (defending Ripp while simultaneously bad mouthing him) and manipulative (carrying on with two women and stringing his father along, too). But he still has this annoying endearing quality. Yeah, you've fleshed him out to be every bit as annoying as I always thought. And I love it.

Will Ripp use the painkillers as an excuse for his roaming hands and tongue? Not that he was really taking advantage of Jill (who clearly is dieing to get it on) but. . .there are just things you have to say no to. And tongue wrestling (while high) with your best friend's little sister while a guest in their house, a house her family has always welcomed you in. . .yeah, that's just not cool. (and I'm sure PT would be less than thrilled to know about it, too).

Speaking of PT, does he have the same expectations for Jill that he does for Johnny? She's half alien as well. Will she get "the talk" before going to college, too? Is there some alien boy out there that daddy has arranged for her to marry?

It was nice to see Elise again, too (even if we don't see her much after this). She was a big loose end for me. (and totally off topic but it made me laugh--and I'm not trying to be mean--the fish survived not being fed all that time? I really expected either Ripp or Buck to find the bodies and have a little spot o' drama).

Tank's stepping into the role of General again, too, directing his brothers (and Elise). That must be a relief for him, to be able to fall back into that familiar rut. Ooh, how's Frances going to react to all this? Will the police interview Tank at Frances's? Will Frances want to distance himself from Tank, lest his disapproving family have their name sullied by the investigation?

And then there's Nervous. Hang on, baby, your mom is coming (and she's bringing hell and Daddy along with her). Five voices, huh? Something tells me there's some kind of significance there, but I don't feel like thinking about it all that hard (I'll leave that to you!).

Circe pregnant made me laugh. Those pink maternity clothes. *snicker* It would be like Mother XYZ being preggo. I hope they don't become bored with the baby like they have with Nervous.

What happened to Nervous's dog?

And last but not least, thank you for updating so regularly. You're story is really raising the bar (and it always helps me get out of little ruts I have with my own stuff--like right now, I just want to whip out some Peculiar)

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

You seem to be a lot harder on Johnny than most people reading this (it's okay, he's good for it). I don't really see him as unlikable, as such, but he is very difficult. He's not Mr. Perfect, but he thinks he is, and he's definitely annoying at times (maybe most times). He gets caught up in extremes. I know the type very well.

I don't see Johnny as being exactly "two-faced" about Ripp. They just have a difficult relationship, and he wasn't so much bad mouthing him as being honest. Ripp is his best friend, unconditionally, but they're so different in many ways that it would be impossible to not have some conflict between them. He doesn't like that particular element of Ripp's personality, but he has to live with it.

I'm not sure if Ripp will even attempt to excuse himself, but being high did factor into what he did, in addition to his overall strained mental state during that time. He really wasn't taking advantage of Jill, like you said, since from her side of it, it was a wonderful thing (though far from ideal - he even threw up right before that kiss). It could look that way though, especially to Johnny. No, it wasn't a very cool thing to do, but Ripp didn't think about all of those things. He just acted... again.

We'll see about the possibility of Jill having a "suggested" partner too, but it would certainly seem like it might be coming, don't you think?

I knew that you were curious about Elise, and it really wouldn't be right to have her drop off the face of the planet without something more from her. I'm not particularly interested in keeping her in the story in a significant way, and since the boys really do hardly know her, why would she stick around? She might show up again somewhere. Who knows...

*snort* Now you're just nit-picking! The fish?! All that and you're worried about the fish? Buck has only been in Smith home for about a week, so I'd say the fish were good. You obviously haven't neglected fish as much as I have. *hangs head in shame* They're good for it.

Yes, it would be comforting to Tank (and his brothers too) for him to step into that familiar role. Those are interesting questions about Frances and the investigation. I haven't thought about it too much yet. I'm not even sure that Frances' family would know much about Frances even having a roommate... if you know what I'm saying. *wink*

Mommy is coming for Nervous. I'm not sure he'll be all that comforted by Olive, but it's a way out. The voices are significant, and I'll finally get to reveal why.

Yeah, Circe doesn't seem right in maternity wear. Not right at all.

The Beakers had even less time for the dog than they have for Nervous, so he's back on the street, unfortunately. (Well, really, he's still there, in the game, and he hasn't aged up yet.)

Thank you. I like to try to keep it at least somewhat regular, and it helps when there is something significant in the plot that I want to get to. I like getting feedback too, and it helps me to think out parts of the plot that I'm forgetting about or neglecting. Like, you'll say something and I'll realize that I really should touch on that topic before it's too late (Like those FISH! Now I need to add a scene where they explain it...).

I'm also inspired to work on this when I read your stories, and those of others. It's great to see what others are doing, and when we can participate in them as they progress. It's fun.

[dothesmustle.livejournal.com]

Circe had initially reacted to the situation with her usual charm and goodwill.

Oh, Circe! Seriously, that picture cracked me up.

Oh boy, the Nervous-Olive reunion. I cannot wait for that.

"Hi. I'm you're mother, and the Grim Reaper is your father. I kill people, he takes names."

Ripp and Jill! I was trying too muffle my laughter when Johnny caught them. That was priceless! Johnny is the just the best over-protective older brother.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Good ol' Circe. Always a pleasant character. *snort*

Yes, Nervous finally gets to meet the woman who stars in most of his terrible dreams. He has no idea who his parents are, of course. It should be interesting.

Yes, Ripp gets his hand caught in the cookie jar. Johnny is so over-protective. He was not impressed. And after just going after Tank to defend Ripp, and getting all sentimental over him and Ophelia, he walks into that. Tell me that's not going to leave you feeling like you've been hit by a bus emotionally.

Keep writing, please!

[lyla09.livejournal.com]

I've been reading your story for weeks, and I think is absolutely GREAT, if not the best I've ever read about Strangetown.

Your characters look so alive, with all their inner conflicts and their complicated relationships to each other, and your skills at storytelling are AMAZING!

I always loved Strangetown, and now I love it even more! My favourite character is Nervous, and I hope he'll be fine, though I don't want to see the Beakers and their unborn child die...they don't look totally evil to me, they don't kill people like Olive does, and I think they could be redeemable...but I guess they're going to die anyway, except for the baby. One thing I know for sure, is that the Beaker mansion is going to burn to ashes.

Please, make Olive pay for all the people she killed! I felt so bad when Buzz died, I knew he just wanted the best for his sons and he was not a bad man!

I think I know what's happening to Nervous (I suspect Loki may have cloned him five times, even if I don't get the purpose of it, or maybe he invented something to control death, or to create death using Nervous'genes), but I guess I'm wrong...something tells me that despite all his sufferings, Nervous is going to act against his own mother to protect the Beakers (they're his family, after all, and Nervous is so kind-hearted that I can see that happening)...we'll see.

I like also the other characters (especially Buck: I think I know what do you plan to do with him and Jill), and I hope the Curious brothers will get more screen-time soon. Also, the babies are all great. I can't wait for the next update: when do you plan to post it?

P.S. Sorry for my bad english! I hope you understand what I meant :)

Re: Keep writing, please!

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I'm glad that you've been enjoying it so far.

I love Nervous too, and, as I have mentioned to several others, I'll be happy to get him out of "the pit". Then we can begin to deal with one more extremely trouble character a little more closely.

I find myself surprised that people keep assuming that the baby will be okay. The baby is still inside Circe, so it's going to be difficult for the baby to live if Circe dies - impossible, really. The baby is a factor, for sure, but I wouldn't assume anything. Pregnancy makes Circe a little more defensive, but the situation makes them vulnerable too. Olive knows exactly how to play to their weaknesses. Don't worry about that.

You're right. The Beakers aren't quite the pure evil that Olive is. And well, General Buzz wasn't either, was he? They could be redeemable, but Olive Specter doesn't do things that way. She's going to attempt to kill them. If they live, it will have to be by their own wits or the grace of some other person or force. Olive won't pity them.

Will Olive pay the price? Not everything is fair, but maybe karma will catch up with her in the end. I won't say anything more.

You have some very interesting thoughts on the matter with Nervous, but I obviously can't talk too much on it right now. We'll get the truth in the next chapter, so you'll have to wait until then to see which of your ideas, if any, might be correct.

Hmmm, you think you know what I'll do with Jill and Buck? We'll see. There are obviously a couple of roads it could go down. We'll see if you've been reading it correctly.

I'm hoping to get the next update up over the weekend if time allows. I have to do some shooting for it, but some of it is already done. It depends on how much time I have, but I can't see it being any later than early into the week, even if it's rough going.

You're English is fine! Better than most. Thanks for the comments, and for reading everything so far. I really do appreciate it. :)

[franwi.livejournal.com]

No pressure, Johnny, it's YOUR decision... but I'm sure you'll do what's RIGHT for your SPECIES... Oh brother. PT is tightening that vice now, huh? I want Johnny happy with Phi! They really are meant to be. There was a time where they seemed to be growing apart, but these days they seem closer than ever - and now he's being told to stick to his own kind. Poor Johnny. And wow, that was a miserable night for him, between Tank, PT, Ripp and Jill.

The Ripp and Jill stuff was... very very good. Seriously I was near-drooling over them. Then suddenly Johnny popped up and I was all, "Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck!" I had to stop reading there and take a break, fearing to read on! LOL.

But I came back and was happy that Johnny harnessed his anger and sent Ripp off right away. It gave him time to calm down and talk to his sister. Johnny knows what Ripp is like, and since he can't change that, the best he can do is caution Jill. Warning her not to play with fire. He probably trusts her to have more restraint than Ripp at this point.

But beyond that, I wonder how Johnny felt, seeing Jill getting so affectionate with a sim, knowing PT's expectations of him. Will Jill face the same pressure to marry within their species, or will her sim-features get her off the hook? Johnny's gotta be wondering.

I loved the Grunt brothers going to the house together. I don't know how you manage to show them growing closer, without changing their personalities, but it's wonderful to see. Ripp and Tank are more at ease around one another, while still maintaining their own quirks. And Buck's a bit more subdued after dealing with everything, but it's all been a natural progression. I love how I can see the changes but it doesn't feel forced.

Man, I feel sorry for Nervous, although being ignored by Loki and Circe is probably better than having them lavish you with attention.

You know what's scary about Olive's plan is that she doesn't really know what Loki and Circe have been doing to her son, right? For all she knows, they could have been raising him lovingly, treating him as their own, but Olive would still be planning to kill his "parents" and tear him out of his home because he belongs to her. It just so happens the Beakers deserve it. ;)

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

I feel really bad for Johnny in that situation. P.T. is asking a lot of him, and even though it is the norm in his species, he doesn't seem to understand that Johnny isn't really an alien either. He grew up with sims, so really, he is like them, and has more connection to their ways than some unseen alien culture. He's really caught in the middle. Johnny did have a really crazy night, with all of that happening.

You liked that Jill and Ripp scene, did you? I'm sure that Jill did too. She might be a little naive about some of it, such as the very different meaning behind the word "want" as she used it, and the way Ripp was using it, but it was a big event for her. You weren't the only one saying "Oh fuck!" when Johnny appeared, I'm sure.

Johnny did handle that situation fairly well, considering how he might have handled it. He had the sense to send Ripp away and not embarrass Jill in front of him (and well, I guess he didn't want Ripp to hear what he was going to say about him - although I'm sure Ripp expects that to come out of his mouth). Johnny really hopes that Jill will have more restraint than Ripp, but he might also have a word with Ripp later too.

That's a good point. Johnny might also be concerned that his sister will end up in the situation that he is in. It's in the back of his mind. If she doesn't also have to marry a half alien, he'll likely resent her for that. I'm sure he wonders about it too.

I'm glad you think that the shift in the relationship between the Grunts seems natural. They haven't changed, not really, but they are becoming more tolerant of each other, and accepting of the differences between them. Maybe they will even grow to appreciate those differences eventually.

There are benefits to being ignored by the Beakers, but it's not good that they're falling down on their duties as his "keepers".

Olive really would go after them, even if they were being kind to Nervous, but she isn't completely in the dark. Death himself told her to take revenge for what they have done to him (he knows, afterall), so she knows that they haven't been taking extremely good care of him. She knows that he wasn't technically adopted, so she wonders about that. She's also been watching them, but she doesn't know exactly what is going on in there. You're right, though. It wouldn't matter to Olive. They're guilty by the simple fact that they have her son.

[saunasims.livejournal.com]

Too under the weather to make a real comment comment, but: I do think Tank is my favorite character officially now. The social awkwardness, the obvious need to be loved but almost complete incapability of showing that, the torn but mending relationship with his brothers.. Awww.

Also, I for one have no expectations for the Beaker baby to make it. Besides, do we *really* want to see the horror of a Circe+Loki genetic merger? Brr, man. Brrr! I say let Olive cleanse the whole place with fire. Maybe sprinkle some salt on the ground afterwards just to make sure. x.X

I know Olive's the ultimate evil, but I honestly dislike her less than the Beakers (obviously). I think it's the fact that she is so cold and inhuman as she is: she makes me thinks of sharks and those deepsea fish with the massive mouths and lures. She seems very.. Business. The Beakers are more like really mean monkeys. And I've seen just how ugly and mean monkeys can get. Go shark! Down with monkey!

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you like Tank so much. He really is a decent guy, and so socially challenged. I wonder how all of that will effect his dreams of a military career? He's not very bold, and that has to be a factor in how easily he'll be able to lead in a military sense.

Salt the ground? *snicker* That's funny. Yes, not only would that child have "interesting" looks, they might have a really wonderful personality too, especially if raised by the Beakers, don't you think?

That's a nice comparison. I think that Olive may have been a little more indulgent in some of her previous murders, but these days she really is all business.

[cindyanne1.livejournal.com]

Yay! New update!

And now that I've put the baby down I can type with both hands! Woo!

Okay, okay...

"God. Strangetown is such a fucking shithole."

That's my new favorite quote EVAR. Hee hee hee.


Was it just the painkillers that made Ripp sick or was it something else? I'm hoping it wasn't something else... **worries**

And I like Johnny... always have, even though he's always seemed a bit of a jerk to me, lol. He was the first Maxis sim I ever played, and I remember being hopelessly annoyed with him once I got him married off to the daughter of my first ever CAS family. Well looking back I think it was more that I was annoyed with his Popularity sim wants. Meet people. Have parties. Have eighty-million best friends. Blah. Nope, not when I'm saddling you with five kids my friend, lol! Hee.

I usually change him to a Knowledge sim these days. I can deal with the wanting to see ghosts and being saved from death... but I digress...

I feel sorry for Tank too. And Ripp goes without saying! Hmmm... might Jill be the one to settle him down? Or is that wishful thinking on my part, lol! Well, not really... 'cause I do loves him as the endearing, but bed-hopping male ho you're playing him as.

And the Beakers. Oh I loved that picture of Circe... just perfect! I always had the feeling Loki was one who wanted to procreate to pass on the family name, too. It always struck me as interesting that when you first start the game Loki has a want to have a baby and a fear of seeing a ghost. Yes that can change if you don't play them right away (I've had sims become vampires, for example, and when finally got round to the Beakers, Loki would have the want to become a vampire and not the want for a baby.)

But, I guarantee... if you start up a new Strangetown and run into Loki, make him selectable and look at his wants. He'll have a want for a baby and a fear of seeing a ghost. Makes me wonder if Maxis didn't start out making him a Family sim. (shrugs) Anyway...

Can't wait to see more of Olive's plan! She's another one I've never really played much (just sort of left the whole Specter house alone) but I am really liking what you're doing with her and with Ophelia!

Great update as always! And I loved the pics!

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

I'm glad that someone appreciated that line. I was pretty happy with it. And really, isn't Strangetown kind of a shithole? It's not a very pretty town.

The type of analgesic that Ripp took does cause nausea in large dosages, so take it for what you will. I think the doctor that he saw must have been a bit of a pill pusher, because he gave Ripp something fairly potent for the amount of injury that he had.

Yeah, I like Johnny too, but can be a bit of a jerk. As a friend, you might spend time hating him as well as loving him, depending on the situation. I actually quite like popularity sims myself. Having friends and throwing parties always seemed like fun from a gameplay point of view to me. Much more fun than gaining skill points for hours.

Yeah, it remains to be seen if Ripp will ever settle down. If it does happen, it will not be easily achieved. He might grow weary of his bed-hopping ways eventually, or find someone who can single-handedly fulfill his needs. Or maybe even someone who will tolerate his ways and not expect a complete commitment from him. He might find something unconventional like that. You never know.

Loki had that want when I started playing too, and I do think that he wants to carry on the Beaker line. It seems like something he would be really interested in.

Thank you.

[ikichi.livejournal.com]

I'll miss Ripp. :D

You know... I get the feeling that while Johnny may love Phi, he's not In Love with her. And that he'll run to her because of what she represents to him. In a way, she's another mother figure, to chase away monsters and kiss away the boo-boos that life throws at him. And he's done very little of that for her. I like Johnny (he's brought much awesomesauce and LOLs in my game) but he's got so much little emperor in him I want to smack him sometimes. Yea, he's trying to be too many things, but he's got a wicked sense of entitlment.

And Tank really, really, REALLY needs to let someone in and be a friend before he pops. It's a shame it didn't work out with Phi, but I KNOW how sweet and loving he can (autonomously) be, and it breaks my heart to see him so alone.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Heheh. Yeah, Ripp had a good run...

Having a sense of entitlement is how I view Johnny too. It probably comes with his "perfect" family, and also the fact that he's special because he's an alien (though he also views that as a disadvantage in some ways). That's an interesting assessment of his relationship with Ophelia, and maybe he isn't giving as equally as his is receiving, in that sense. I'm wary of the concept of being "In Love" as something different from simply loving someone. It comes in degrees, I suppose, but love is love to me.

Tank will come around, at least in some ways. You never know who might come into his life, if he lets them.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I'm glad you think so. It's nice to see that I've been able to make you nostalgic for Strangetown. *smile* It's nice to hear that you think the characterizations are accurate too.

Thanks for reading!

[80sfiend.livejournal.com]

Oh wow this was so good!!!! :D :D I can't explain how much my shipper heart is bursting! :) Jill got her moment!!! I mean I know that Ripp's a player but it was so awesome seeing them together and that he wants her! You did an amazing job on this but especially their scene together...I LOVED IT. :) I'm so in awe of your storytelling genius. :)

All of this was great, I loved P.T and Johnny's chat, and the set up for the next chapter...Oh I love this!!! :D

I'm seriously contemplating making a Jill/Ripp icon...that's sad isn't it? ;)

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I knew you'd like that scene. *grin* You're right to be concerned about Ripp's nature, but either way, it was nice for Jill to have her dreams come true, at least for a couple of minutes. Now, the reality of it will have to work its way in, but for that moment, she had exactly what she wanted.

Hey, why not? Go ahead a declare it. It would be cute, I'm sure. If you want to use one of my photos, go right ahead. I don't mind at all.

[ricamarcella.livejournal.com]

Ohmigosh, it's gonna be one big episode next!!! I'm so excited, I can't wait! When do you think you'll finish it? I figure you've got dozens of fans by now, and you can't keep them waiting!

I'm speculating the five voices might be Olive's victims, rather than clones of Nervous, but we'll have to wait and see.

I think everyone's expecting the Beakers' kid to live because there have been previous episodes in which the Beakers die, but Nervous raises their kid happily. I think such perfectly peachy endings have become a given when it comes to the Nervous-Beaker scenario; I'm glad you're ready to dish us something more complicated. Whenever authors deal with that the goal is always the same--to have him escape--but often it's Pascal (on occasion, Ophelia) who's the rescuer, not Olive. And the rescuer is always someone good. I like how original you've made it by making another villain the rescuer--it also makes the situation more complicated, as the reader doesn't know how to cheer for in the conflict (OK, maybe we can all cheer for Nervous).

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Yikes! The pressure is on, isn't it? I hope I don't crumble under it. I fear I may have built this up a bit too much... hopefully it won't be a giant let down. It might be more subdued than you expect, considering the mechanics of the game itself (the fire is just kicking my ass to work with), but I'll try not to disappoint.

We'll see about the voices. But one of them is definitely his own. It says so the first time he becomes aware of them: five distinct voices, including his own.

The major difference about a story where Nervous might end up raising the child (and I agree - I've seen a number of stories like that), is that the child isn't born yet. If the baby was something that Nervous could pick up and take with him, like the puppy was, then it might be different. No, as of right now, the baby and Circe are one and the same, or at least, they come in a single package.

Thank you. I thought it would be an interesting angle, and Olive has both an excellent motivation and the skills necessary to go up against the Beakers. I could see it being Pascal too, if he had been successful, but not Ophelia. At least not the way I see her. I wouldn't imagine that she would even know about Nervous, though I suppose she might also have been interested in saving him if she had found out, with a little help, of course. They both may play a part in saving Nervous, ultimately, but not rescuing him.

[ricamarcella.livejournal.com]

Oooh, oooh, oooh! Just went over Nerv's dream sequences again, which seem to include Olive's tampering with plants (when she thought about poisoning Ophelia but failed?), the scissors episode in which the General dies, the Beaker mansion fire, and a fourth one in which Nervous enters the room of "her/she" and "she" is hanging from the ceiling--with a terrible smell around. Is this Circe or Olive? Or another victim from after the Olive-Loki showdown? No... I think this Olive's last kill(s) will be in that house on that night.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

I'll clear up some of those dreams meanings. The plants were in reference to how she killed Buzz (it was what she used to paralyze him). She never intended to kill Ophelia.

The dream where someone hangs him/herself is an earlier dream, while Nervous was still in foster care, and he walked in to find the body of his foster parent after having the dream. That just shows that his dreams do seem to predict actual events, and Nervous suspects that.

[sea-serpent.livejournal.com]

Hi! New reader here <3

There's so much drama going on! I love sim stories with complicated plots like this one.

I've just read all chapters in one go, so I'm not entirely sure what to comment on... I adore Ripp, he's such a sweet character (and a slutty one, but slutty sims are the best :P). I have to say though, I'm dying to see more of Frances, if only because the fangirl inside of me demands that he and Tank get together (it would be cute, and adorkable, and would bring so much angst! Ahhh...)

Anyways! Ignore me, I'm a terrible commenter because I rarely have anything useful to say :P

Do you mind if I friend you so I can keep up on the updates? I don't usually hang around thesims2, and I don't want to miss anything!

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Hi! Nice to meet you. It's always nice to have a new reader.

You read everything in one go? That's awesome. Thank you. It probably gives you better perspective on the whole situation, having some of the earlier events fresh in your mind. Ripp's obviously one of my own favourite characters too, as he gets more than his fair share of "screen time". I really like the complexities of his character, and his general liveliness, and messiness, compared to many of the others. And yes, there's nothing wrong with being a little slutty. Some people just have more "love" to give. *grin* I tire of perfectly chaste, totally monogamous characters pretty quickly, though they do have their place.

Don't worry, there will be plenty of room for drama (and angst... though I hate the way that word is often overused, particularly as some sort of "genre", which it isn't, in my mind) in the relationship between Tank and Frances, no matter where it ends up. Tank will have to deal with some of his prejudices as time goes on. That goes for the aliens too, as he clearly has some issues there.

Please do add me! I'd love to have you following along.

Thanks for reading!

Woaw!!

[sofieamalien.livejournal.com]

Woaw! I found this story last night and just finished reading! It's very well written and I really like the plot. You're causing me to fall inlove with the strangetown sims all over again :D

Great Story! Please keep posting more chapters!

Love, Sofie

Re: Woaw!!

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Thank you, and thanks for reading it! Go ahead and add me as a friend if you'd like updates on future posts. The next chapter should be on its way soon, with any luck.

looooong comment....

[squirrel-tamer.livejournal.com]

I both love and hate Johnny sometimes. I think it’s awesome that you made him into this wannabe hero type where he thinks that it’s his job to protect everyone, but I kind of want to knock some sense into him. Not everyone needs saving, y’know? And poor Tank! He managed to reconcile with Ripp only to have Johnny strain the situation again. I hope that eventually Johnny and Tank manage to at least respect each other. Maybe they could bond over mothering Ripp? Hahaha.

I enjoyed the small talk around the dinner table. The expressions on some of their faces were just too charming. And poor awkward Tank, he doesn’t really know what to do these days. He’s still got a lot of the General in him and I doubt he’ll ever really manage to completely ally himself with the aliens. But I’m glad that he’s being civil and you can tell that at least some part of him wants to belong with these people.

Also, I know that PT thinks his way is the right way, but I really hate how he’s basically guilting Johnny into choosing Jayne. I know he’s only doing what he thinks is best, but marriage shouldn’t just be a logical choice! I hope that Johnny follows his heart in the end. If he ends up with Jayne than it should be because he really does care about her and not because he feels guilty.

And he says himself that he loves Ophelia. That he wants to be with her.

I really hope that he doesn’t hurt Ophelia by being indecisive.

Also I’m not sure about Jill getting ‘the talk’, because as of right now there are no aliens her age. I thought maybe there’d be talk of her becoming a pollinator, but I wonder if she’d be accepted when she doesn’t really look alien. Hmmm….

And I think that PT is wrong. Johnny is a Sim. He is the same as Ripp and Ophelia. Maybe not on the outside, but on the inside he is very much the same.

"I know that you will do the right thing for us."

Way to really nail that one in their PT. ‘FOR US’. PT is a good guy, but I can’t help hating him a little. And feeling bad for hating him because he honestly thinks he knows what’s best and maybe he’s right, but it’s just really unfortunate that Johnny is so locked into such a role.

“Instinctively, he reacted as he would if she were any other attractive female.”

Oh Ripp you sleezeball! I really love what you’ve done with Ripp’s character. How you make him both likeable and hateable at the same time (you do that with all your characters actually and it adds a really great touch of realism, because its very rare that people are all good or all bad). Ripp being skeevy is quite all right with me. It fits him, but ooooo! I wish he would think before he rushes into things. I know some of it may have to do with the painkillers, but goodness! I think most people (even those of relatively loose…morals) would think twice before making out with their best friend’s younger sister.

I know Jill was loving it, but it’s true that she doesn’t really know the real Ripp. And I think she would mind just a bit if she really sat down and thought about all the girls he’s been with.

I do love that he commented on the ‘perfect alien bone structure’. Because has he met any female aliens really? He has yet to meet up with Stella or Jayne, so the only alien bone structure he’s seen besides Jill’s is Johnny and PT’s. Heehee. I know he was more than likely just saying that to really butter Jill up, but I like to think that he spends time admiring Johnny’s beautiful bone structure.

I love the “God I’m shaking….” line, because that really seems like the proper response to something like that - especially as a teen. I also like that Jill is perhaps the first person that Ripp’s put the moves on that he actually likes as a person and not just a conquest. But it’s pretty obvious that she cares for him on a much different level that he cares for her.

Re: looooong comment....

[squirrel-tamer.livejournal.com]

Also I like the scene with all of them on the porch. There’s just something about that picture that tugs on my heartstrings - the bond of the brothers shown alongside the bond between Ripp and Ophelia. Also, poor Tank again. I wish the trio could make spot for him. I know at this point it’s relatively impossible and maybe for the best (Tank needs to find his own life), but he very clearly wishes he was a part of that friendship. Always has.

Also Tank/Frances. I think it could be cute, but I just see Tank (at least the Tank you’ve set up in this story) as straight.

I think Ophelia and Tank are probably my two favorite characters. Tank, because he’s really just pretty damn lonely and kind of unsure of himself and Ophelia, because she’s very mellow and doesn’t worry so much about all the little things. I like that she tries very hard to move past the sadness of her childhood to find a happier future.

(Also, I didn’t mention this in the last one, but I like how you’ve made Jenny into a super obsessive family sim, in which babies and marriage are her life. She really contrasts with Ophelia who, though she may one day want kids and a marriage, seems more like a family sim in the terms that she just wants to find people who love her and accept her.)

Is it bad that I kind of wished the Grunts had torched the house?

I get the feeling that one of the Beakers will survive the fire. Also, I’m totally clueless about the five voices in Nervous’ head.

Also, I would like to say that I’m personally of the belief that Buck has a thing for Jill. He takes notice of her lack of bra and is really excited to cut HER hair specifically. And you’ve been hinting for a long time that you probably weren’t going to go with the simple ‘Buck is gay’ route that most people do.

Sorry for the ridiculously long comment….

Can’t wait ‘til next time!

[speedspin-88.livejournal.com]

OOOhhh...I can't wait to see what Olive does to the Beakers. Free Nervous! Whoo!
I love that Ripp has the decency to watch his speech around Mrs. Smith. Even though if I ctually met Ripp I wouldn't like him he's just hard not to like cause he's Ripp.
I've gotta agree with Madame Ugly on his character, but once again he's hardnot to like. I mean-he's Johnny...
Pregnant Circe is pretty funny. She does a lot of wierd autonomous things in my game.
I was wondering where Elise went...anyway I love thisstory cont wait to read what's next!

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Yes, that showdown was a long time coming. It's time to have them face off.

Yeah, Ripp might be a bit much in real life, though I can say with almost 100% certainty that I would probably hang out with him (I have friends just like that). He is a nice guy, despite all of the issues and bad behaviour. He's just a bit of a mess. And yeah, too sweet that he tried not to swear...

Oh, I agree. Johnny's not perfectly likable, but again, he's a mixture, like most people. And he usually does mean well.

Circe's a weird cat, for sure, and I do find her very funny in that maternity outfit. I makes her seem laughably vulnerable.

Yeah, we had to type that loose end up with Elise, didn't we?

Thank you.

[pixelcurious.livejournal.com]

D'oh! I thought I had commented on this. But I obviously didn't.

Forgive me if I mention something that's been extensively covered in comments already, but I'm not going to unfold and read them all right now :) But...

He usually washed them immediately after he entered a house from outside...

Touch of OCD, Tank? (I would horrify him. I never even wash mine before I eat, unless I know they're actually dirty. I do wash them after using the loo, at least)

That habit did give Johnny the perfect opportunity to get Tank alone and be all meddlesome. Given his and Tank's history, there pretty much HAD to be a confrontation. That doesn't mean I didn't sigh. That was so not necessary, Johnny!

The dinner conversation was nifty, with all the expressions, and the theater discussion felt real. I thought, "Hmm, sounds like someone's had this conversation in real life..." :) Then PT with his proposal. Of course Buck and Ripp are on board. And good of Tank to be civil and agree to try.

PT's attitudes are interesting... let's all try to get along and be allies... BUT we're a race apart and not like you at all. I have my own theories on that. How different can aliens and humans be, biologically, if they can interbreed? Sure there are differences in skin color, features, lifespan... but how significant are those differences? This "keep the race pure" notion feels like eugenics to me (which is a very broad term) but more specifically like scientific racism (which is, of course, a pretty nasty set of assumptions and practices, which I won't accuse PT of, but I'm reminded all the same).

Well. Let's move on. RIPP! That's your best friend's little sister, and a high school kid with stars in her eyes! The age difference actually isn't all that great, of course, and considering it's Ripp, the maturity level isn't that different either. ^_^ But... yeah, bad judgment call, my friend!

I do think Johnny handled that pretty well. And it seemed like he's moving toward a decision about Ophelia, so that's all to the good. I do like them as a couple. I mean, if he and Ripp can't/won't be humping in your story, Phi is a good second choice. *wink*

I have to say, I thought the same as Mme. Ugly about the fish. Tank did say it had been weeks since they set foot in the house (I forgot that Buck hadn't been at the Smith's very long.) I bet the littler fishies are missing now, though...

Since I already read the one you just posted, I know the Evil of Olive has come to fruition... and I wonder if the Smiths and Grunts can see the burning of the Beaker mansion from their frontyards...

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

I actually have a touch of that OCD too (thanks, Mom!), so I know all about it. I'm not that bad, but I just figured that Tank would take that regimented approach to hygiene.

Johnny always goes a little bit overboard, doesn't he? He can't just sit by or take a middle road. And, in his defense, he didn't know that Tank and Ripp had settled things. It was still a bit much...

Yes, I have had similar conversations about theatre. I went to art school and shared a building with the theatre kids. One of my best friends did theatre, as did one of my roommates, so I know the territory. I have considered actually including them doing a play in the story, if I feel up to it, so that's a little hint of what may come there. The subject is significant, of course.

Tank only put his toe in the water as far as that proposal was concerned. He's not 100% convinced on the aliens.

Yes, that's an interesting dichotomy, isn't it? P.T. wants their species to be peaceful with each other, but what does he ultimately want to happen, from a genetic point of view? Why would he want to ensure the loyalties of the remaining Grunts? These are all interesting things to consider.

Ripp, immature? No way! *snicker* The poor thing hasn't exactly moved on to the world of adult responsibilities yet, has he? Jill's probably more mature than he is. She could probably survive on her own, anyway. But you're right that the age difference isn't all that great (like, maybe five years at most). Yeah, Ripp fucked up. It was not his most shining moment. But he's Ripp, and he didn't think... and maybe he had his reasons.

Yeah, Johnny might be getting closer to understanding how he feels, but is he any closer to a decision? Ophelia's a good second choice? Well, I know how you feel. *smile* We'll see, we'll see. The story is far from over.

And I wouldn't make any assumptions about who Ripp will be humping. *wink* He's got a long career ahead of him.

The fish tank might have a self-feeding mechanism! *snort* Yeah, maybe some of the bigger fish picked off some of the smaller ones by now, but maybe Buck has been dropping by to check on things too. Tank was really talking about him and Ripp when he said they hadn't been there in weeks. *sigh* Do I need to devote an entire chapter to the fish, people?

[missgan.livejournal.com]

Nooooooo Jill, stay away from Ripp! :(:(:(
I am completely on Johnny's side in this situation. I hope Johnny really does lose his shit with Ripp when they get back to their house in LFT - like a previous comment said, kissing (and groping!) your best friend's younger sister in their own house where you've always been warmly welcomed as a guest is NOT the way to go!
I've always liked Ripp and laughed at his antics in college, but this really pushes it for me!
Yea, I think that I may be a prude like Johnny, actually.

Anyway, I'm so excited that Olive's going to act soon! And it'd better be soon, because Nervous sure looks like he's not going to be able to hang on any longer!

[ohflark.livejournal.com]

Johnny needs to back off Tank a bit.

I mean Johnny knows that when Tank is confronted with anger he gives anger back. I think the only reason why Tank didn't have an outburst is because he didn't want Jenny to think badly of him since Jenny is was nice enough to invite him over for dinner,


It seems to be made out that Ripp and Tank are the hotheads of the story but I am actually starting to think that Johnny is more hot headed then both of them.

:o

Ripp kissing Jill?


Poor Jill is going to end up corrupted.

and what if Buck really isn't gay and he really does like Jill?

Ripp really knows how to piss people off.

[pnkpnthr334.livejournal.com]

Johnny is just getting more and more aggressive!
Jill and Ripp!!! OMG!!! Wow, I can believe she wants to do THAT with him. =O
I hope Olive saves Nervous from that hell hole!

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

Olive! My fav serial sim murderer!

[saphira-314.livejournal.com]

I started reading your story because you were mentioned on Sim Secret last week, and I absolutely love it!!!! Hoping for an update soon :)