Strange Things Are Happening

Resar, Fall, 2001
Lyndon is 47, Nicole is 45, Faith is 17, Harvis and Susie are 15

Resar marked the start of Faith's senior year of high school. In addition to skill exams, which she passed with flying colors, college applications-she had been accepted to Pierce University, and scholarship applications, Faith had to be concerned about her music. Her record label, SiMusic, annouced that her sales were low and she was in danger of being dropped. As a result, Faith often spent her nights practicing her violin and experimenting with new melodies for her next CD and her senior recital. She claimed that practicing in her formal attire made her more focused, but not focused enough since she still had the habit of sneaking out with her boyfriend, Bill.

Lyndon tried to turn a blind eye towards his eldest nightly activities. She would be in university soon and there was nothing he could do to stop her activities. To be honest, Faith was the least of his worries at the moment.

He had to keep his eye on Harvis. Reports were coming in from around the nation that UFOs were targeting blue alien descendants for abductions. Harvis had already been a victim of such an abduction not too long after his older brother was taken. Rumors of an alien attack of blue vs green aliens was on the minds of a lot of residents.

It didn't help matters that Harvis insisted on continuing his stargazing and searching for his blue ancestors. Every night it seemed that Harvis was drawn outside by some invisible force, his eyes glued to the sky.

"I don't know...it's like a siren call." He explained to his sister, Susie.

Susie nodded. She hated the fact that her brother wouldn't forget about thier blue alien ancestors. It was hard enough trying to fit in and find a boyfriend, or any boy to kiss you, but when your twin brother wouldn't stop talking about blue aliens and space men, well...boys don't exactly line up at your door.

The closest she had to her first kiss is when she bumped into the newspaper delivery guy and his sister at the new gym. She barely got the chance to chat for more than a few minutes before Harvis came around the corner.

"Susie, can you hear them?"

"Erh...hear what?"

"The voices in your head. The aliens are trying to speak to us. Stop talking and listen!"

The last she saw of the newspaper delivery guy was his back as he ran around the corner.

Perhaps it was her need for connection that attracted her to the strangeness of Liam. Maybe it was her brother's persistent interest in his alien heritage. Maybe it was she destined for it, after all her ancestors were known for thier interest in the paranormal. Whatever it was, Susie couldn't help but listening as Liam talked about a world of glitter and butterflies where tables were always full of food and love overflowed.

"You should join us." He offered.

Susie nodded. She wanted to be a member of a club, her foster parents were members of clubs and even Harvis was a member of Aspirational Laboratories.

Susie wasn't prepared for when Liam started mumbling some strange phrases and waving his wand about. Nor was she prepared for the abundance of glitter and butterflies that surrounded her. It was as if her skin was glowing!

That afternoon, Liam taught her as much as he could concerning the Order of the Way of Light. Susie learned about regents, some basic spells, broom manevuers and creed of the order.

"My family will be home soon," Susie worried.

"Don't worry," Liam reassured her. "I stopped time with a simple spell. We still have a few moments before the border bewteen reality and magic start to crack."

By the time her family returned home, Susie and Liam had everything cleaned up and Susie was dutifully doing her homework.

What they forgot to think about is that Nicole wasn't your average mother. She was from Sokitumi and was very familar with what other residents would call strange paranormal ways. Voodoo, witch doctors, ghosts, telepathy, extra-sensory perception, psychokinesis, she had seen or heard it all. She could smell the magic in the air. Saying nothing, she pretended to read a book with her husband as she watched the teen move about the house.

"Susie," Nicole whispered to her foster daughter after cornering her in her bedroom. "Next time you and your friend meet, perhaps you should go to his territority for training."

Susie gasped.

"You're glowing, Susie." she continued. "Go wash your face and get ready for dinner. Also, tell your brother to stop looking for another UFO."

---

With all the "odd" activities going on in thier house (the pastor's house! Lyndon argued as if his occupation would make the children persue stamp collecting instead of magic, talking to alien ancestors and sneaking out with boyfriends), the family looked forward to an evening out.

As soon as they arrived to the shopping square, everyone scattered. Susie had breakdancing lessons. After several unsuccessful attempts with the piano like her grandmother, Squirly, Susie decided that maybe dancing would be a better avenue for her creativity. She was right, as even her instructor praised her on her quick study of the movements.

Faith browsed in the local thrift shop, hoping to avoid seeing anyone from school and hoping to find a nice dress for the upcoming formal.

"Faith? What are you doing shopping here?" S'Ahmisa Warwick said passing by.

"Oh, I was bored and decided to try on some clothes." She lied to the middle school student. "I'm not actually shopping. I would never shop in a thrift store."

S'Ahmisa nodded in the face of the lie. Apple Valley was tiny, so it was no secret that the Humphrey family struggled with finances, especially with a tiny pastoral salary. She said nothing, especially since anything she would say would be ignored since S'Ahmisa was a trust fund baby. Her university was already paid for, her family enjoyed numerous trips and designer clothing-something Faith would only be able to dream about.

"I do that too sometimes." She said lying along with her neighbor. "I'm looking for some funny costumes for the Sweeny triplets. I babysit for them a lot and they love to play dress-up."

"Why shop here and not some designer store?" Faith asked.

"This thrift shop benefits the interhood orphanage and my family likes to support them." S'Ahmisa continued, surprised that the senior would still be talking to a middle school student. But then again, Apple Valley is a very small island and when most schools have more students than you have residents, well...everyone tends to talk to everyone else.

Nicole and Lyndon enjoyed thier couple time as the children persued thier own activities. A horror movie with lots of fake blood and cheesy snacks followed with some very teenaged like necking in the back of the theater.

After the movie, the couple enjoyed gyros and hot dogs in the snack bar.

"This reminds me of when we were in college." Lyndon said.

"You mean when I traveled to visit you and you took me to that desert casino for dinner?"

Lyndon nodded and they both smiled thinking about thier younger years. Now thier eldest would be headed off to university as well.

"Time flies, huh?"

"It sure does."

"Mom? Dad? You guys ready to go home yet?" Faith said poking her head into the snack bar.

---

This family/generation is one of my favorites(my favorite family across multiple generational lines from TS1 to TS2 is the Herendez). Nicole and Lyndon met via a SUN Exchange when they were both in university. Nicole was from another simmer whose hood name was Sokitumi. After graduation Lyndon left Apple Valley for like in Sokitumi with Nicole. They were so cute and I was able to get them to rejoin Apple Valley permenantly (asked the simmer if they could be permenantly housed in my game) and the rest is history. They have changed from a wilder uncoventional couple (Nicole was a drama major and used to be an actress) to the pastoral family that adopted thier family. Faith is technically adopted-she is genetically Nicole and Lyndon's child and I was playing around with some hacks and *poof* goes the family. Faith wasn't a part of the family anymore and since I didn't have photos of the birth and such, I had them adopt her. So that's an ancient simmer secret that Faith is biologically Nicole and Lyndon's child---shhh. Harvis and Susie are from Simmerville and descend from blue aliens. To be honest, two aliens, a witch, a former follower of volcano goddesses and a rebellious teen doesn't seem like a weird combo to me.

What about you? Do you have any odd combinations in your hood?