Strangetown: Chapter Eighteen

[strangetomato]

 

Warnings: violence and death


Chapter Eighteen





Olive waited outside, until Circe went upstairs to use the bathroom. Then she set about her work, scattering her materials around the room, and lit a match.

Loki would be home from work at any minute. Olive stepped aside and waited.










Loki exited the car and noticed the flames coming from the front entrance. He ran into the house, in a panic, fearful for Circe's life.




Olive was on him in a flash. Once he was at the top of the stairs, and looking around in confusion and fear, Olive stepped out from where she was calmly waiting.






He looked into her dark eyes for a moment, but before he could gather his wits, she had descended on him.




And she simply pushed Loki right into the fire.

It was surprisingly easy.






In his moment of weakness, she had trapped him. She had known their weakness. It was easy. The Beakers' weakness was each other.

They loved each other, and love makes you weak. It was easy to destroy something that let its guard down, while it attempted to save another. Any fool knew that.

Olive smiled. She waited for Circe.






Circe descended the stairs, and rushed into the room. "Loki!" She screamed. She noticed Olive standing outside. "You witch! Who are you? And what have you done to Loki?!"

"I'm Olive Specter." She said. "And I'm here to kill you." Circe didn't even seem to hear her, as she ran to Loki's aid.




"Circe! Upstairs!" Loki roared. "Make sure - is it safe?!"




"Loki! Loki, my love! It's okay - I'll save you!"




But it was far too late to save Loki Beaker. Death arrived to attend to his work.




Circe stumbled from the room, and fell to the ground. "Loki!" She screamed. "LOKI!"

Her greatest fear had been realized and now she was as helpless as a baby, convulsing on the cold stone floor. Olive smiled, entered the room and calmly began setting a fire around the delirious Circe.




"You should have thought about the consequences before you decided to do this to Osiris." Olive said. "It's unlucky that you happened to capture my son, but that was a risk that you took on yourself when you took him in."




Olive peered into the pit, then went to the switch to deactivate the stairs, and flipped it. "You can come out now, Osiris."




Nervous ascended the stairs, cautiously.




Nervous observed her fearfully, instantly recognizing her from his dreams. "You're the woman who kills people," he said. Olive laughed.




"That's right, Osiris," she said. "I'm the woman who kills people, and now I'm killing your captors, and setting you free. I'm taking you home."




"Home?"

"Yes, Osiris." Nervous reacted to the repeated use of that unfamiliar name. "I'm your mother, and I'm here to take you home."




Nervous saw Circe falling into the flames, screaming. For a second, this drew no feeling from him, and he simply acknowledged that would now be free from the Beakers forever.






Circe fell to the ground, consumed by the flames.

But then, he remembered that Circe was pregnant.




"No!" Nervous cried. "The BABY! Not the baby!"






"Don't take the baby!" He pleaded, as the figure appeared before him, just as it had been in each of his dreams.




"You wish that I spare this woman?" Death asked.




"Yes, please! Spare the baby!" he pleaded.

"But this woman was your tormentor. You still wish that she keep her life?"




"YES!" Nervous cried.

"Very well." Death said. "Anything for you... my son."




Nervous Subject's eyes widened, and he felt himself grow very dizzy. He coughed and staggered from the smoke in his lungs, and the turmoil in his head, and felt the room going dim. As he feel to the floor, he fixated on that one word.

Son.

My son.




It explained so many things about him.




Olive moved her son into the parlour, and lay him on the couch. He would be safe there, temporarily.

Olive observed her son with complete disappointment. Such a weak and merciful creature. She was ashamed to have produced him from her own body.

Then she remembered Loki's words, and started to make her way upstairs to the tower.




At the same time, Circe was rising from the floor.

"Circe Beaker." Death began. "You will be allowed to stay here, among the living, but never forget that you are technically mine now. If you do anything to harm my son ever again, I will simply come back to collect you. Is that clear?"




"Y-yes." Circe whimpered.

"Good. Also, you must do me this one favour. Your husband has been doing something up in the tower. Are you aware of it?"




"Yes."

"Then you will see that his work is taken care of properly, before the authorities get here? You'll insure the safe-keeping of that project?"

"Yes. I will."






Olive was on the rooftop, approaching the door to the highest tower. She reached for the handle and threw the door open.




There were four figures standing inside.












They silently observed her with their sad and downcast eyes.




"Monsters!" Olive roared. "Loki Beaker! What have you done?!"






"I must destroy them."




"You'll do no such thing." Death said, as he appeared before her. "Olive, it's time for you to go."

"But, my love, surely these monsters must be destroyed -"




"NO! They are mine, Olive!" He roared. "You will not have them. Not this time."




"Do you see this, Olive?" He raised the hourglass high above his head. "It's empty. Your time is up! I will give you enough time to finish the task as it was assigned to you, and not a second more! Is that clear?"

"Yes, my love."




"Go! Get Osiris, and bring him home. I'll be waiting for you there."

Olive did as she was directed, but not before she set the Beaker mansion on fire completely.




It would burn out until it was a hollow husk.




Olive dragged Nervous Subject's body into her courtyard and left him to rest on the ground. Her lover would arrive shorty to take her home. It was done.






She walked through her cemetery, past her collection of victims, and took a seat in the chair where she often sat to observe them.






She lowered herself into it and waited.




Death appeared, right on time.








Nervous Subject was stirring, and he awoke just in time to see his mother's life coming to an end.




The ominous, spectral figure of Death approached her.




"So, this is it, Olive, my love. Your very own death."




"That's it? That's all there is?"




"Yes, it's all there ever is, Olive. It's an ending. No matter how it happens, it is an end."

"But I always thought it would be different."

"It's never what you expect. Nobody ever gets it right."




"I'm no more special than any of them..."

"No." he said. "You aren't. But you're no less special either."




"Now, let's go..." he reached for her hand. "It's time to know the great unknowable."

At last, her searching would be over.




Olive Specter smiled and took her true love's hand. She left the living world behind forever.




Death looked at his son.




"Nervous Subject. My son, Osiris. You are now free. I would suggest that you lay low for a while here, for your own safety. This is your home now. You own everything here."

Nervous said nothing, but nodded.




"You are a living representation of death. You are alive, but you are also very much a part of death and the silence that comes at the end of life. I hope that you will take advantage of the opportunity to live, for I envy it." He smiled, if death could be said to smile, as faceless as he was.

"Live well."

And then he was gone.




He stood, devastated, though the sight was familiar to him. It was an all too familiar sight for him. The end of someone's life.




Nervous shuddered. So much death surrounded him. It had always been that way, and would, no doubt, always be.




And he wept. Not so much for his mother's life, or her death, but because of what she had been, and what she had made him into. It was her fault that he even existed.

The terrible thing that he was.








He went inside his home. That, at least, was one good thing that had come from that entire ordeal. He now had a home, and it was all his.




He gazed into his reflection as he had many times before. Was it possible to see, with the naked eye, the truth about him? Could he really live his life as if he were just another person?

He hoped so.




His hands were shaking. It was time for him to take his medication. But, this time, it wasn't going to happen. He wondered how long he had before this would become a major problem.

His head still clattered with noise, filled with unknown voices and thoughts. Was this how it would always be for him?




He entered the master bedroom and turned back the sheets. He would sleep, or, at least, attempt to sleep.

There would be dreams, no doubt, but he would no longer dream about the fire that would take the lives of the Beakers. It had already done so. He thought about Circe, and he wondered if he had done the right thing. For the sake of the innocent child, he thought that he had, but it was so hard to know for sure.

Either way, he would try to get some rest.










It was going to be a long night.








  (Continue to Chapter 19 (part 1)...)

Comments

[sims-gone.livejournal.com]

Hmm, well I guess we have to hope that Olive's afterlife isn't pleasant...perhaps her victims will be waiting.

I saw that puppy! I seem to remember something about a black dog being a symbol of death.

What will become of Cersei and her baby? And those Nervous clones...what a bizarre situation. I'm looking forward to finding out more about them.

I should tell you that I get excited when I see a new Strangetown episode come up on my friends list. So this has been an exciting week! :)

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Well, I suppose the severity of Olive's afterlife would depend on what you believe in. But as Death said, it's never what you think...

Yes, a black dog might be a symbol of death. That particular dog is also Wheezy, who was the puppy that Nervous took in while at the Beaker mansion.

Yes, this whole ordeal left a bit of a mess in Strangetown, didn't it? Who will ultimately have to deal with the clones that Loki made of Nervous Subject? And was saving Circe's life really a very good idea?

Thank you. I'm glad to hear that.

[sinderellah.livejournal.com]

Oh wow! I wasn't sure if Nervous would plead for the Beakers or not, being the sympathetic individual that he is. I thought though maybe he would be given the baby, without them having to live... I figured Death could pull that kind of stuff. But now with her alive, and still pregnant, and these other Subjects to care for... hmm! Death knew about this project, so I have a feeling he will be back. Yay that Nervous' puppy is back now too!

I notice Olive left a Platinum grave, the only one in that graveyard, if I'm correct. Very fitting that she expected more, seeing that she killed all those poor people just to try and experience different kinds of deaths... or did she do that more to summon Grimmy? (or both?)

I laughed while Loki burned, she's brushing off lint or whatever. As if she's saying, "No big deal, as easy as I figured."

Awesome, awesome, awesome. I really liked this chapter!
Where did you get the numbered pajamas, if you don't mind my asking?

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

No, rules are rules. And those are the rules of death (in this story, anyway). For the baby to live, Circe must also live, since the baby is still inside her body. Nervous chose to save her for the sake of the baby, but will he live to regret it?

We couldn't let the poor puppy die, could we? *smile*

Olive was a connoisseur of death. She wanted to experience it in all of its forms, and to learn everything there was to know about it. Her own death was platinum because she was glad to die, where her victims were not.

Yeah, Olive just stands there, perfectly calm, brushing off her sleeve. How perfect. She really does not care one tiny bit for human/sim life.

Those pajamas are the uniforms of a mental institution, as created by serenfae at MTS2, found here. I figured that Circe just "obtained" them for Loki. Or he got them from work. Either version would work, since they were involved in the medical and science fields, respectively.

Thank you.

[madame-ugly.livejournal.com]

I see where Nervous's voices come from (at least, that's my assumption). And it seems one of his clones is female, too (and they don't all look the same--interesting).

I laughed when I saw the Celebrations rose petals being used a fuel for the death fire. NICE!

I also thought Daddy Death would just pluck the baby from the womb and hand it off to Nervous (like a parting gift!). Leaving Circe alive. . .Death must have a reason.

I'm glad to see Olive go, too. Yeah, she could reappear (anything's possible in Strangetown) but bon voyage, Olive.

Now I really want to see Circe's reaction to this happening and the fall out in the neighborhood. Oooh, I just had a thought. Is Vidcund smitten with Circe? Holy crap, RUN Vid, RUN!

sims_gone mentioned seeing the puppy. I can't see him/her? Did s/he survive? You know how I worry about pets (I'll never live down the fish thing, will I?).

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the voices are the thoughts of his clones. It's kind of like the way twins can finish each others sentences, except even more so. (Maybe it's a stretch, but who has ever had a clone, to tell me differently?)

The clones weren't perfected by Loki just yet, so none of them is an exact replica of Nervous. They have some superficial differences, and also some personality/aspiration differences. One of them is female (cute, isn't she?), and one of them is an albino.

Yes. Kindling was NOT an intended use for the rose petals in Celebration Stuff, but it works for me. *grin* Catches fire nicely too (as do all rugs).

It's not so much that Death has a reason. He rarely makes those types of judgements. That's just a rule of death, as it were. The baby hasn't left Circe's body, so their lives are still dependent on each other.

Yes, it's time for Olive to go. I agree. And good riddance.

There will be some interesting developments in Circe's handling of the situation. You're right to worry. She IS single again.

The puppy is on the ground in one of the last shots of Nervous in the cemetery. He found his way back to his master. (See? I don't kill animals indiscriminately, afterall. *snicker*) He's not the only stray dog around the Specter estate. Ophelia used to take them in too.

[80sfiend.livejournal.com]

Wow. This was really great! I'm glad that Nervous got Death to spare the baby's life even if it means that Circe is still alive. Death told her not to harm his son anymore but that doesn't mean she can't cause trouble for other people in Strangetown...hmmm. Also, the clones are way too cool. They definitely explain the voices inside his head, it'll be interesting to see the part they play in all of this. :)

Also, I'm glad the puppy is ok and is back with Nervous. :)

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Thanks. It's an uneasy tradeoff, isn't it? Will Circe be any different without Loki? Nervous saved the poor baby, who never did anyone any harm, but that child will still be raised by Circe Beaker. Circe can't touch Nervous, since she's still technically "dead", but that doesn't keep her from pursuing other unsavoury goals.

The clones should stir things up, for sure. And it fulfills my desire to send Nervous Subject's genes all over the place (just as a side note. *grin*).

At least Nervous has that puppy to comfort him in the cold, haunted Specter estate that he now calls home.

[jessicus.livejournal.com]

oh wow. All the Nervousesses. I'm not feeling much sympathy for Loki, but it's good that Nervous pleaded with the grimmie for circe and the baby's life. Despite everything, the episode ended quite well - nervous is free! Unless you throw us a curve ball somewhere...you wouldn't do that to Nervous would you? hehe.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Many, many Nervouses. *grin*

Nervous has too much of a soft heart to let the baby die, but he obviously has some reservations about Circe. We'll see how that goes.

No, Nervous has his freedom, and all that might entail. He's lost his caretakers, though, and that brings some problems for him.

[music-simbol.livejournal.com]

Wooooooooooooooooooooow. I hardly know where to start!

Loki's death doesn't bother at all, since he deserved it. I was a bit put off when I saw that Circe was going to die with the baby. I pretty much thought that it was unfair for it do die just because it Circe's child. But, I'm sure this was what Nervous was thinking when he begged Death to spare her life. I can only wonder where Circe will go now, and what will she do.

Clones, huh? Well, did not see that one coming. I'm hoping that they'll be explained a bit more later, but I'm not sure if we'll get to see that since Loki's dead, and Circe isn't the type to talk about it. It was pretty cool to see Nervous as a woman thou.

Olive's claimed enough lives, so she should move on. I wouldn't be surprised if Nervous went into shock when he woke up after having more time for everything that happened to seep in. I'd think paying a visit to Pascal would be a worthwhile trip, thou. Wouldn't you agree?

(I can't imagine how much planning this chapter took, so I just wanted to say congrats, because everything looked great!)

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Loki gets no pity from anyone, it seems. Fair enough. But Circe? In my mind, she's just as bad... or worse. Well, maybe not. She didn't have the delusional schemes, and the cloning project, so that's slightly better.

Olive would have had no problem with killing the baby too. It's a Beaker spawn, afterall. Nervous, of course, realized that the poor thing hadn't even had a chance to redeem itself. And he's a family sim. He can't bear the though of losing the baby. How Circe will react to the situation remains to be seen. It will be interesting.

The cloning was Loki's project, so some of the details will remain a mystery, unless some of his notes survived. What purpose were they for? We know that he had some idea about Nervous' genetics, but why was he cloning him?

Female Nervous is pretty awesome. I really like her. That's No. 4 Cloned Subject to you, though. *grin*

Nervous will have to face it in the morning, and he has one major problem that he has to deal with, now that he's "cut off" from the Beakers. He's going to need some help.

Thank you. It was a fair amount of work, and I wasn't 100% pleased, but it did the job. I did get lucky with some of the scenes (like Olive and the clones - Death pointing at them, etc.). I was fairly happy with the results.

[pixelcurious.livejournal.com]

AWE
SOME

I loved seeing the whole mansion on fire. I've never actually let a sim house burn down. The worst I did was destroy a stove, and that took a surprisingly long time.

The Reaper is such an interesting figure. He seems to take a very balanced view of life and death. I can understand Olive's attraction to the very figure of Death. But what was his, to her? I suppose a mere mortal can never truly understand. *wink*

So now Circe is off somewhere with four sad-eyed clones. Assuming she followed the Reaper's instructions to secure the safety of the project, she got them away before the authorities arrived. In my imagination, she's slogging through the sand somewhere, heavily gravid, with a bunch of sims who probably aren't prepared for life anywhere, let alone the desert at night...



Just a side note -- I don't know how you're handling it, but the Specter lot drove me crazy with the drowned ghosts' puddle-spam. I remember it taking several sims all day to mop up after one night's worth. If/when I restart Strangetown I am pretty sure I will be dealing with those ghosts, one way or another. I wonder if SimPE can be used to change the manner of death, so they are still there, but not so *wet*?

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Thanks. It was fun to set the mansion on fire. My secret was using that fire torch thing that comes with Nightlife. And the pretty rose petals (as kindling), of course. It gets a nice blaze going.

The Reaper wanted to have a living legacy, and that was his way of doing it. Also, Olive just kept showing up. She was his best customer, and maybe he appreciated her interest in his work. Who really knows. He's is mysterious. He's Death!

I like that image! But I think that Circe will stick around the mansion to type up the loose ends with the police, after the flames die down.

Oh, those wet ghosts cause some trouble, alright. On a positive note, Ophelia gained a lot of cleaning skill that way. I hired a maid too, but between a gardener (for the weeds) and a maid, it still takes all day. It's a good thing they're rolling in simoleons.

I think I may have some plans to move the graveyard to the other side of the street, community-lot style, not that I look forward to exhuming the corpses. Even in a game, that creeps me out.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

There is definitely potential for that decision to have unseen effects for Nervous or others, somewhere down the road. Nervous, of course, would save the baby anyway, no matter the risk.

Nervous might never be truly normal, but he has a chance to at least give it a fair shot.

The clones will be fun to work with, especially when they are able to develop their own personalities and change their appearances accordingly. I really like the way the female Nervous looks.

Circe is a dangerous woman. No doubt about it. We'll see some of her plans pretty soon. Some others may remain a secret.

[simgarooop.livejournal.com]

Whoa! I didn't expect this to happen!

OK, I remebered Nervous' dreams about a fire (and the scissors) as soon as I saw the petals on the floor (it's funny how you used the stuff from the Celebration SP for less than festive purposes), but what happened next. Whoa!

Poor Loki... you shall not be missed. Although I think Circe is even worse and yet she was saved by Nervous, if only for the unborn baby. Makes me wonder how will that end up. Will that baby be as evil as its parents (considering it'll be raised by Circe)? What'll happen to the young toddlers from last update as soon as they grow up? Will they be potential victims to the Beaker Spawn?

Perhaps I'm going way too far ahead. Right now, there are also the clones to consider! I didn't expect them at all! For a moment, I thought the "voices" inside Nervous head were the voices of the people killed by Olive (and I thought he could "hear" Lyla, Ophelia's parents and Buzz inside his head), but the clones open a lot of more possibilities. It took me a while to realize that one of them was a female! I noticed there was something different, but only until I read your comment I saw "her". The albino Nervous is a nice touch too!

Olive won't be missed either, although that means that the mistery behind her murders won't be solved, right? Oh well, at least Nervous is finally safe!

Great update! :)

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Do you think the creators of Celebration Stuff will ever forgive me? *snicker* Well, they should. I'll be using that SP for plenty of actual weddings, I'm sure.

The poor baby will be raised by Circe, and will no doubt be taught to view the world as she sees it. Whether that message sticks is another question. The question, really, is whether this child will be more of a Tank or a Ripp Grunt (or maybe he/she will be more of a Buck, in which case, we have no worries at all). Will the child absorb the message, or rebel against it? Circe knows how to hold a grudge, and the child will no doubt know who is "responsible" for Loki's death.

Like you said, the child will go to school with the children of other Strangetown residents, complicating the matter even further. I have a feeling that Circe will enroll her child in private school, though. She'd probably home school him/her with a private tutor if she could. Her hatred of her neighbours is no secret.

Well, Nervous has heard the thoughts of those victims too. His dreams illustrated their deaths in great detail. But it is the clones that he hears during the day. He's going to want to shut them out somehow, or maybe it would be useful to be able to access their minds at will. It could be an interesting advantage. It remains to be seen if the copies of Nervous have any or all of his "powers". I think they are all flawed in some way, so they might not have all the same abilities. Nervous Subject doesn't have what many people would consider useful powers either, not in a sense of any physical power, but he has some skills that may have their use one day.

I like the albino Nervous too. I thought I'd throw something a little different in there (besides the female Nervous). Just wait until you see what aspiration that one has. Only one of the clones is a family sim, like Nervous.

Olive Specter just might be the type of knowledge sim who kept notes somewhere, and even a collection of her favourite "quotes", as she mentioned. She did cover her tracks very well, but there is someone who suspects her more than most other sims do. That mystery might eventually be solved.

Thank you! :)

[ikichi.livejournal.com]

Return of Puppy! Kind of like a parting gift from mom and dad.

You know, I was always curious if Nervous was programed to always win when he pleads Death, but it never came up...

I'm glad Nervous is free! He's such a sweetheart; pleading for a baby is such a him thing to do. Circe better do right by those clones before Daddy comes back! (Wow, Loki is way more brilliant that I thought!).

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

At least Nervous has the puppy to keep him company. I'm sure that he was relieved to see him after all that.

I don't think that Nervous as a sim has any special privileges like that in the game, which is too bad. It would have been interesting. That doesn't mean that I can't make it so. The game can't constrain me. My Nervous is special.

Yes, Circe has to watch her back. The deal with Death was that she would not harm Nervous Subject in any way, and that most likely includes the clones too.

Loki was on his way to a breakthrough, afterall. I wonder how Pascal would feel about his achievement?

[redqueenofevil.livejournal.com]

I was NOT expecting clones. Holy cow! I guess we'll determine later whether or not they survived. I'm guessing they did, since Death didn't appear to be too angry with Olive, once she returned home.

As for Circe, I fear for what will happen next. Will she change her ways? Or become more of a monster? Eeek, eek, eek!!!!

Thanks for the update! I'm on edge now with excitement, as the plot takes yet another twist.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Well, would I spend all that time impatiently hiding those clones in the sim bin (since the very beginning of the story), and then kill them off? No, I don't mind telling you that they survive. Circe has to be sure that they do, or Death might come back to smite her.

Circe is not likely to be pleased with the fact that Loki was murdered, and she does have someone to blame. We'll start to see a little more about the secret dealings of the Beakers come to light soon too. They aren't quite as reclusive as they seem.

You're very welcome! You know that I've been wanted to get this one off of my chest for ages. Now we can move on the sweet, sweet fallout. And start tangling up the lives of the different characters even further.

[squirrel-tamer.livejournal.com]

Another great chapter with so much going on! I do feel kind of bad for Loki and Circe. I mean the Beakers were major dicks, but it's a shame that they had to die. I'm glad that Circe's baby will have a chance to come out right. Though with a mother like Circe...

And clones...WHOA! I can only imagine how weird it'll be to have that many Nervouses in around. What will happen if two Nervouses hook up? Nervous/Nervous the only good Nervous pairing, amirite?

I kind of wish that Olive would have been punished somehow. I feel that she got off too easy for all the horrible things that she's done. I was really hoping that you'd give the Grunts a chance to confront her.

I really do love this story tons and have gotten into the habit of drawing some of the college kids (+JillandBuck) when I'm bored. Their designs are based on the older looks that you've given them - Ripp's long hair, Johnny's crazy bangs, etc. so I thought you might enjoy seeing them:

http://users.livejournal.com/beyondheroism__/36801.html#cutid1

http://users.livejournal.com/beyondheroism__/37051.html#cutid1

Tank's giving me the most trouble...which is a shame as he is my favourite. I hope you enjoy them.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

The Beakers do get a tiny fragment of sympathy from me too, but not much. I do feel sorry for Circe in her loss on some level, since she really did love Loki. Even though she's an evil bitch, that's sad to watch.

I'm planning to set it up so the Nervouses can't interbreed, since that's about the most extreme form of incest that I can think of. They are technically the same genetic material. I suppose I might use InSIM to set them as Nervous' children, since that's the closest I will get. It will be fun to see more Nervous genetics being born into the town over time. It leaves it open for a lot of possibilities.

Olive doesn't get punished. That is unfair, or might be conceived as unfair by those who lost someone to her (if they even find out). But that's the whole point. It isn't fair. They'll just have to deal with it. It's also setting this story up as one where good doesn't necessarily always triumph over evil. We might not always even be able to decide which side to root for, or even which side is the "good" one.

Wow. That's so cool! Your drawings are quite nice. I'm very flattered that you chose to use my particular styling of the characters in your drawings. Thanks for sharing!

[indigoleo.livejournal.com]

Hoo boy, I read this earlier at work but wasn't able to comment until I got home. I'm not really supposed to be on LJ at work but I just can't stay away but I don't tend to comment so....

Wow. A wonderful if tragic end. No, not 'wonderful' in a fun way, but well put together. I was wondering what you used on the floor but then I saw what it was reading through the other comments.
It is kind of great to see the whole house go up in flames.

Kindling was NOT an intended use for the rose petals in Celebration Stuff, but it works for me. *grin* Catches fire nicely too (as do all rugs). Yes, they do, don't they? I found that out with my Sims Bustin' Out game for the PS2. That rug looked so pretty by the fireplace until the damned thing caught fire and half the living room went up in flames. I learned my lesson well.

Olive brushing lint off her clothes while Loki burns. Pure Olive. She couldn't care less.

Nervous sure had a lot dumped on him all at once, didn't he? The deaths of his tormenters (and, up until this moment his only "family"), the discovery of his mother, the loss of his mother and the discovery of his father and what he truly is. He's got to be in a state of shock. That's too much for anybody stable to take in.
And the Nervous clones. Well that explains what Loki was up to. No wonder Nervous is hearing voices. Yes, he's going to be in a state when he wakes up, I'm sure. I know he won't forget the one friend he has left he can turn to.

It's too bad that Olive can't appreciate the compassion that her son has but then she has none of her own and even if she did she would probably view it as a liability rather than an asset, much like she views the love between Loki and Circe as a weakness. (and all of that reminded me of something I read in a book once. You don't happen to read R.A. Salvatore, do you?) Maybe, just maybe, Circe will realize that the only reason she's still around to raise her baby is because of Nervous but i won't bet any money on it in the long run. Between the two I think Circe is far more crueler. She's not so different from Olive, in my opinion.

I love that the puppy showed up near the end! Not everything is death and destruction. There's still life, young life, too.

Nervous clones! An abundance of Nervous! Oh, my! It took me a minute to realize one of them was a female. :) So, what group gets to take over Strangetown first? The aliens or the Nervous clones? Pretty soon there won't be any normal people left in Strangetown!
It will be interesting to see what Loki was planning with them and how much they know now.

[ricamarcella.livejournal.com]

I'm intersted to see not just what Loki was planning with them, but the Grim. I never expected him to take an interest in human affairs, or tamper with them... he's just there to collect bodies. But he was very insistent that Olive leave the clones alone, and that Circe hide them from the authorities, so that means he surely has some plans for them himself. I wonder why. And what they are.

The fall of the house of Beaker, huh? It was triumphant to see it go up in flames. I don't feel sorry for Loki, but I'm glad the clones and Circe survived, because that busts five separate cans of worms open. I guess she might go after another man now, but only to serve the purposes of revenge; Loki was her only love. (It boggles my mind how many Strangetown stories create a Circe/Nervous pairing; it is so unbelievable.)

I thought my thirst for this series would be quenched after this episode, but it's only gotten hotter!

[http://users.livejournal.com/fileg_/]

Nervous wouldn't be Nervous if he hadn't pleaded for the baby, and for a moment I thought Grim would make HIM pregnant with the baby, (echoing what knows of the alien pregnancies from the Curious's.) And since I am still unsure if he might be the father, that made my brain spin!

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

No, you're right. That is how Nervous is. He has a lot of empathy for others, despite his lack of ability to connect with them. It should come as no surprise that he did that.

That would have been interesting, but it isn't how I've decided the "rules of death" will work in this story. Having to choose to keep Circe alive makes the situation more interesting too.

There is always that possibility about their use of Nervous Subject's genetics, isn't there? The Beakers have clearly been using them for a variety of things already.

[cindyanne1.livejournal.com]

Golems! Hee hee... Nervous golems! Love it, love it... and I didn't miss the "special" one with the blond hair and silver eyes (I love those eyes... Ice by Lyran? My favorite, lol!)

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

I thought it would be fun to throw in the weird albino Nervous. And because he was created in CAS, his paler hair and eyes will be genetically dominant too, since they are custom. Yes, it is Ice by Lyran. Very observant!

[cindyanne1.livejournal.com]

Sheesh... my computer posted before I was done writing! Laptops... I tells ya! (shakes head) Mind of their own. Anyway...

I love that Nervous pleaded for the life of the baby! But it's still unclear what Circe is going to do with her second chance. Somehow I doubt she'll use the opportunity to become a paragon of motherhood (snort)

Wonderful, exciting update! And I bet all of those pics involving the Grim Reaper nearly drove you round the twist! Well they turned out great!

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Yes, I agree. Though it might be possible, it's unlikely that Circe will reform. She's much more likely to want revenge.

It was hard to get the reaper to do what I wanted at times, but it worked out really well in a lot of ways. The scene on the rooftop just "happened", once everyone was in place. I really lucked out there.

The fire was much harder. I can set some sims to be fireproof with InSIM, but that doesn't stop them from flailing around in fear, even with the freewill off. That was hard to manage.

[lyla09.livejournal.com]

Great chapter! You don't know how much I've been waiting for this entry (or maybe, you do know)! :)

I'm glad Nervous is "free" now, though he thinks he is a monster because is father is the Grim Reaper and his mother was Olive the killer.

I knew he was going to save the baby's innocent life, he's such a kind-hearted family sim I was expecting it.

I'm happy for the baby, and I guess Circe will make him/her avenge his/her father someday in the future (maybe, I'm not sure).

So I guessed right, Loki had really cloned Nervous, and the clones look great! I'm so curious to learn about how different they are from the "real" Nervous, and I felt kinda bad for Loki and Circe, they really loved each other, and now Circe is alone and pregnant...

I guess it's time for Vidcund to show up and maybe help her to raise her child (yes, that's a bit too much, but I do believe that Circe could learn to love him, after some time).

I was expecting a more gruesome death for Olive, but it doesn't matter anymore, I'm just too relieved to see her finally dead. Your sim photos are getting better and better. Keep up the good work!

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I've been waiting to to this one myself! This thread in the plot needed resolving. I'm so glad to be able to move on with everything now. Lots of potential for new developments. :)

Nervous is free in a physical sense, but he still has a lot of things to struggle with internally. He's going to need the help of some caring and compassionate people if he's going to heal.

I think a number of people could see that coming, and it makes sense, doesn't it? It's how Nervous is.

That's a possibility, but can anyone really make someone do anything, in the end? The child will have his/her own mind, but Circe will have an influence on them.

Yes, you guessed right! Well done. I was a little "nervous" that you were going to give it away, but I don't think too many people picked up on it. I had dropped a few minor hints here and there too, but I was really hoping to keep that one a secret. It will be fun to develop the clones as characters, since I really haven't played them that much yet (but I know their personalities should make things interesting)

Yes, Circe is in a pitiable position, if it is even possible to pity her. She might cross paths with Vidcund. That's a reasonable assumption. But what will the nature of their meeting be? I haven't even fully worked it out myself yet.

There was no punishment for Olive. She truly inflicted harm without ever receiving any in return. Or, at least, she didn't receive any sort of punishment for her actions after the fact. She did end her life in a state of minor disappointment, though, that her death wasn't "special" in some way.

It really is a relief that the threat of Olive Specter has left Strangetown.

Thank you. I'm glad you think so. :) And I will definitely try my very best!

[silentsteel.livejournal.com]

This is . . . wow, this is wonderful! I bow to your storytelling skills!

And I'm eagerly awaiting seeing the results of this night's activites . . . I hope the withdrawal from the drugs isn't too harsh on Nervous. But it makes me curious - can the clones hear each other and Nervous, or is it just him receiving?

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I'm glad you liked it.

You're the first person to mention the impending withdrawal, I believe. It's definitely in the cards for Nervous, if he doesn't get more of them. The Beakers have been medicating him for a long time. He doesn't even know what it is that they give him.

I think that Nervous is more of a receptor for their thoughts, and not the other way around, being the original. I haven't fully worked out those details yet. Maybe the clones could also hear him too, if they were trained to do so. It's not so much a two-way communication method, but more like picking up feedback in the static on a radio.

[aledstrange.livejournal.com]

WOW! that was amazing!
Nervous 'clones' really surprised me. I was trying to imagine what was Loki's experiment, but never imagined *that*. I'm guessing those are the voices Nervous can hear...
I didn't get what happened with Circe and the 'clones' at the end, tho if the house was set on fire? are they still alive somewhere??
Can't wait to know what will come to Nervous now! :)

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I was hoping to be able to surprise people with those clones, and I seem to have mostly achieved that goal. And yes, those are the voices that Nervous has been hearing.

Circe was instructed to make sure the clones were safe, so she probably got them outside and a safe distance away, until it burned itself out. She going to want to hid them away too, for a while, until the investigation of the fire is over.

I'm excited to. Nervous will finally get a chance to live a free life.

[hathakleen.livejournal.com]

I have just finished reading every chapter of this story, and I just want to say that it is fantastic! So well done, so complex, and so addicting. I can't wait to read more.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm glad to hear that you've enjoyed it so far. I'm hoping to get another chapter up in the next couple of days. You can add my to your friend's list if you want to know when it goes up.

Thanks for reading!

[soma910.livejournal.com]

Great story! Like the poster above, I just finished reading all the chapters and am amazed by the details and story telling. I love how the characters are complex and their relationships are so intricately intertwined. You got another fan. ^^

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I always love to hear from a new reader. I'm glad that you've enjoyed it thus far. Please add me if you want to get updates on the new chapters.

Thanks for reading! :D

[kin-thalas.livejournal.com]

I just realized I need to catch up a lot - you´re very busy :)

So she really did it. Pity Circe survived, I hate that chick.

But that´s SO Nervous, being crazy about the baby (oc he´s right to save the innocent child but the mother doesn´t deserve it).

I always thought death would get Olive if his son is save. I just worry why he brought it out that Osiris (love the name) is his son. Good he´s free now, but I don´t know if it´s a good idea that he´s alone in that scary house, though.

[smjoshsims.livejournal.com]

=O
I love how this played out! It was so great. Poor Loki. =( Circe didn't deserve to live, but its nice to see that Nervous had the compassion to spare her. Wow, this story is so great, I love it. =)

[gab75.livejournal.com]

I didn't remember the clones ! They are great, I hope we'll see them more ! I wondered, how did you create them ? Did you made them with the CAS or breeding the Grim Reaper with Loki ?

I love Nervous Subject so much ! I also think he's gay, but in my game, I want Circe to fool him and have a child with him (because she might discover he's The Death's son). I think it could be a great genetic potential for a child.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Well, the clones are never really mentioned directly up until this moment, so I hope that it does come as at least a little bit of a surprise. They're definitely created in CAS, using a Nervous that was "cloned" with SimPE.

I originally considered a similar storyline involving a relationship between Nervous and Circe, but I really couldn't fully believe it with the way I've characterized them here. It's an interesting angle, though.

[missgan.livejournal.com]

Aww, Nervous is such a sweetheart. I did expect him to plead for Circe's life so that the baby would be preserved, and I loved watching that scene play out. :)
I'm so glad he's safe now!

What I didn't expect, though, were the clones! :O
What does this mean and where will it lead?! I just hope that Circe will take care of them - though I know it wouldn't be out of the kindness of her heart, but rather, fear of Death!

Amazing post. I had a lot of morbid fun watching Loki burn - and laughed when I saw Olive brushing her sleeve!
And why am I not surprised that Loki was totally obsessed about the clones' safety when he was right on the brink of death? Cunning right to the very end. Good riddance!