Chapter 1.1 | Rules for this challenge | Chapter 1.3

Generation One: Black

Appearance: Black hair, siren-like clothing style
Traits: Evil, Non Committal, Kleptomaniac
Aspiration: Renaissance Sim
Occupation: Collector/Random careers of choice
House Goal: 10,000 worth

Handiness and Loneliness

My new black tail seems to shimmer against the waves as I take my habitual evening swim. I don’t like waking up with itchy scales, so I try to get in a swim before bed every night. I’m working on saving up enough simoleons to upgrade my home, but it’s slow going. All of my spare time is sunk into working on my skills for my aspiration, or logic for my job as an astronaut. Sometimes I feel trapped in the same career all the time, but the island helps me to feel Carefree. I always tell myself I can change jobs whenever I want, but I appreciate the good money that comes in from being an astronaut.

Late that night, the whole world started shaking. My first thought was an earthquake, but a quick terrified look out the window confirmed with ease that it was the volcano, spewing molten lava into the air.. and all around my home! I wisely stayed indoors, and hoped the attack would stop soon. It did, luckily, and I wandered outside in my underwear, marveling over the rocks strewn around my land. I chose not to attempt to touch them – that just seemed like a bad idea – and finally, figuring the volcano was done for the night – went back to bed.

By morning, those lava rocks had cooled, and I bought a rock hammer to see what was inside of them. Crystals and gems – all that sold at the local shop very well, giving me some desperately needed extra funds. I wanted to buy a woodworking table, and this influx of simoleons filled my little savings account just enough that I could get one. My mother had set such a good example with all her handiness skill and I wanted to make her proud, so I felt that this was the way to go.

The next couple days were routine. Woodworking, swimming, and my job… following a lonely pattern. I was unwilling to invite those two guys over to try again, the rejection from the first try was still smarting. So I stayed by myself and satisfied my social by talking to my coworkers at work. I don’t think any of them truly believed I was a mermaid – and an astronaut.. but they didn’t have to believe me.

The next day, however, I had a visitor. He was very nice to look at, and turned out to be another local Conservationist. His name was Rangi. And maybe he wouldn’t turn out to be too bad, since he didn’t seem to flinch at me wielding my woodworking knife right by his head.

Intrigued, I gave up on skilling for the day, and spent some time cloudgazing and talking. And did we ever talk. We talked about everything. It started out with talking about the islands and how much we loved it here, then turned to our jobs, our skills, our aspirations. Then, we started talking about our childhoods.

He barely believed me about my mother’s journey to the islands, and the fact that I was the legacy heir she chose, but I showed him pictures, and he suddenly realized who my mother was. Apparently she was fairly well known, although she wasn’t the most social of people. The islanders knew who she was, and commended her work ethic.

By evening, it was pouring. But we were still standing outside chatting. The more I talked with Rangi, the more I liked him, and the more I realized just how lonely I had been. Unwilling to risk rejection again, I sang him a charming mermaid song.

And he was. Charmed, that is. I guess I’ll never know whether he would have been charmed without the song, but I couldn’t help it. We flirted in the rain, and barely noticed it.

Finally, I could take it no longer. I went in for a kiss. And while he was surprised, he recovered quickly, and kissed me back!

Before I knew it, he had invited me down to the waterfall near my home for a little fun and games.. and I wasn’t about to say no! The rain didn’t matter anymore, and the waterfall proved to be the most romantic spot I’ve ever been in my life.

The night couldn’t have gone any better.. but it had to end. He left for home, and I practically floated up the pathway to my little home, happier than I could ever remember being.

The next day was “New Skill Day” and it didn’t take me long to celebrate the holiday. I spent all day at home, skilling, because I didn’t have to work.

But as the day continued, I realized how much I missed Rangi. It seemed he was already stuck in my head. I tried to ignore it, and focus on my logic skill, but I couldn’t stop thinking about him, and wondering what he was doing for the holiday.

Another Islander stopped by the next day, and mentioned that Rangi had been talking about me. She assured me that it was all good things, and wished us luck. That was when I realized for sure that there could be an “US”. I rolled the idea around in my head for the rest of the day, and realized I might have to upgrade my hut sooner rather than later. But I couldn’t afford it yet, unfortunately. So work it was.

The next volcanic activity was much closer, and practically landed on my home! It was hard to wait to open up the rocks, because I was so excited to sell the treasure that would certainly be inside.

So.. I busied myself with planting a garden in the new planter boxes I had built on my woodworking bench. Mom and Dad’s garden had been so nice for giving fresh fruits and veggies, that I couldn’t help but want a garden of my own. And it kept me busy for the day. Hopefully, I could afford that new bedroom soon and invite Rangi to join me. Being alone, I’ve found, is just not my “cup of tea”. I miss the constant presence of others I always had when I was growing up, and the more I thought about it.. the more I wanted my own family. Perhaps Rangi could be that. The possibilities crowd in my head as I fall asleep in my lonely little hut.

Chapter 1.1 | Rules for this challenge | Chapter 1.3