Chapter 1.3 | Chapter 1.5

Caizey started her “day” with a rematch – she couldn’t resist. The duel went well, spells flying back and forth. A good hit gotten in at the end won it for Caizey.

However, perhaps she should have resisted the fight. Magic coursed through her body, leaving no spot untouched and tingly. She ended up flat on her face on the floor, and Spellcasters ran from all over to check on her. Apparently, it was something called “overcharge.” If you used your magic too much too fast, you risked this happening, and it could even result in death. So, since she was on a bit of enforced break, she took the time to get to know the other two trainers that lived at the magic center. One was named Simeon Silversweater, and he taught practical magic. The other was Morgyn Ember, who taught untamed magic. L. Faba was the Mischief magic teacher… and all three could teach potion recipes if your friendship was solid and they deemed you ready. After spending a couple hours, getting some new spells and potion recipes, and letting her magic drain back down to a healthy level, Caizey found another duel.

Both Morgyn and Simeon watched, for she and Tricia were well – matched. Ultimately, Caizey pulled ahead and went to find her next match.

Word definitely travelled fast in the magic realm. Caizey had her choice of young spellcasters willing to take her on. And with every duel, her style and spellcasting improved.

In fact, she won most of her duels this day. Then, feeling her magic getting too high again, she went to go experiment with a cauldron.

However, apparently that wasn’t without it’s pit-falls, too. A bad ingredient combination backfired on her and left her cursed, to the other students great amusement. She posed for pictures, and dealt with the ribbing good-naturedly as much as she could.

But one girl went too far. Furious, Caizey challenged her to a duel. The girl laughed and laughed at her…

… But she wasn’t laughing when the duel was over. Nobody bothered her after that. Partially because, once again, she overcharged and ended up on her rear. This time, however, she was ready for it.

She had purchased a familiar, because she had learned they would protect her from death in the event of another overcharge, which seemed sorta necessary. She also managed to get rid of the curse. Now she just needed a long shower….

… Which she took care of posthaste. She had named her Raven Steel – after the color of his feathers, and he was there whenever she needed him.

After another rest, Caizey was right back at dueling for prizes. Mostly they were just potion ingredients, but she needed those, too. So that worked just fine for Caizey.

She tried to celebrate too loudly every time she won, but at least a little celebration had to be done.

Her potion mixing continued to improve, as well… and she only very rarely messed one up. She credited her familiar for keeping her safe from curses, even though that wasn’t supposed to be one of his jobs.

Her friendship with her mentor, L Faba had improved to the point that they were now fast friends. Another Spellcaster Rank had come and gone, and still she got better. Things just kept looking up. However, she felt it was more than time to take care of affairs at home. She collected her things and headed back to her “box” of a house. She had a little more money than she’d had the last time she was there, and she’d found a lantern she could use to explore her new home. L. Faba wished her well, and gave her another spell and potion recipe to take with her. With a jaunty wave, and Steel at her back, she headed home. What a neat word. HOME. A smile spread across her face as she walked to the portal, through it, and out into the brilliant mid-morning sun in Glimmerbrook.

Chapter 1.3 | Chapter 1.5

Chapter 1.2 | Chapter 1.4

Caizey woke up disoriented and confused. It took her a while to remember that she was now a Spellcaster, in a tent at some weird garden house in a magical world. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. So much had happened in her life in such a short period of time that it was a little bit overwhelming. She sat there, lost in thought for a few moments, then took a deep breath and steeled herself for another new day.

Climbing out of the tent, she turned around and contemplated it for a while. Too bad it hadn’t come with instructions of how to pack it back up. Putting it up had been pretty self explanatory, but making it fit in that tiny bag it had come with? She wasn’t looking forward to it.

Stalling for time, Caizey looked around the area, and found a log that was ribbiting. Carefully, she pulled out the frog and set it aside – who knows what she was going to need for the “potions” that L. Faba had mentioned. And if nothing else – perhaps she could sell the frog to another Spellcaster who needed it.

Looking around some more, she found some wild plants, but they weren’t fully grown yet, so they weren’t ready to harvest. Caizey made a mental note to come back and look at them when they were grown, remembering that she had to grow some “Wild Mandrake” at home – whatever those were. There wasn’t a whole lot else around, so there wasn’t anything else to distract her, and she turned, resigned, back to her tent.

After a good half-hour wrestling with it, she managed to at least get it and the tent poles all packed back into that little bag – but it hadn’t been pretty. Packing back up her backpack, she headed back to the main building, her stomach growling. Some more mac and cheese was calling her name.

Mac and cheese made a strange breakfast, but at least it filled her tummy. Nobody joined her meal this time, but that was okay with Caizey, because she wasn’t feeling all that social this morning.

After cleaning up her dishes in the small kitchen, Caizey returned to the cauldron and did some experimenting. She didn’t come up with anything, but it was fun, anyway. She quickly lost track of time, and spent most the day playing with her new magic skills.

A nearby magic duel caught her attention, and she watched avidly, looking forward to the day when she could do that herself. The note had said she needed to be able to win duels. She wondered idly if there was anything to be gained from winning them. With that thought, she headed back to “her” cauldron, and experimented some more.

At dinner time, she walked through the kitchen – only to find that someone had left some books out on the table. Looking around, she found she was alone, and her Klepto fingers were itching, so she snatched the books and hid them in her backpack. Never knew when she was going to want to do some research on Spellcasters., and surely she would eventually have lights at home to read by, right?

Exhausted, Caizey went back to the greenhouse and set up her tent again. In the dim light from the portal, she fell asleep soundly, never noticing the people who came and went, looking at her tent in confusion. Apparently camping out in the magic realm was a novelty.

The next day, Caizey decided that randomly experimenting on cauldron was a waste of time, and she tracked down L. Faba, and requested some training. L. Faba was more than happy to help out, and taught her her first spell. Learning the proper motions that went with it took time, however. Luckily L. Faba was a patient teacher.

L. Faba also helped teach her how to do a potion, and how to experiment properly – which meant that Caizey could try to learn some new potions on her own. Today, though, at least she had someone helping, and she managed to successfully brew some Needs potions that would definitely come in handy later.

Caizey also spent some time trying to get to know some other Spellcasters, and even found one willing to be her first duel partner. She wound up her only spell and threw it…. only to have her opponent dodge it deftly.

Her opponent’s responding spell caught Caizey right in the chest, nearly knocking the breath from her. Gasping, Caizey tried her one spell again – and watched as it fizzled in front of her.

The next spell from her opponent knocked her flat on her back. Luckily it was just a friendly duel, and the girl quickly helped Caizey up and helped her dust off, making sure she was okay. Caizey wasn’t about to let this first failure go to her head, though, and vowed to keep practicing.

The days passed, one blurring into the other as she practiced and learned. Her spell motions slowly became more fluid, and her potions more effective.

Then there came the day that she finally figured out how to catch her opponent off-guard. Even L. Faba was impressed by the force with which she threw her spell, and Caizey almost felt sorry for her opponent.

Almost. It was her first win, though, and Caizey couldn’t help but celebrate. L. Faba smiled with pride, and the glow of success warmed her whole body. She could get used to this!

Caizey had been making use of the Needs potions she kept brewing, which allowed her to sleep less and practice more. She also spent some time making friends. Or, at least, trying to.

She kept getting better at duels, and started betting potion ingredients on them, allowing her to get more ingredients every time she won. Granted, she still lost sometimes, but it was becoming less often. She was becoming a real Spellcaster, and her rank even improved, allowing her to learn more spells and potions. Life was good. She was still poor, and she hadn’t gone home.. but that was okay for now. She had other priorities.

Chapter 1.2 | Chapter 1.4

Chapter 4 | Chapter 6

I was in such a good mood when I woke up on the planned “date day”, that even the moody clouds above couldn’t dampen my spirits. I completed my chores at home as quickly as possible, gathered up my paintings from yesterday to drop off at the gallery, and hurried into Windenburg.

The paintings, luckily, sold handsomely, and they gushed over my improvement. I appreciated the compliments.. but I had places to be, so I excused myself as soon as I could politely do so.

Once again, I picked up Alex at the cafe … and no matter how she pleaded, I wouldn’t let her know where we were going. “It’s a surprise!” I insisted – several times – before she finally gave up. I made her cover her eyes when we got to the bowling alley until we got inside…. because there’s no hiding the sounds of a busy bowling alley!

Her face broke into a grin, and she mentioned she hadn’t been bowling since she was a child. I assured her that I wasn’t very good, either… so we were in good company. We rented a lane, and set about having a good time.

Alex was right, though. – She WAS terrible at bowling. But it was funny to both of us, so it didn’t exactly ruin the evening. We giggled over her last gutter ball, Cheered when she actually hit pins, and generally had a great time.

I made a surprise strike near the end of the game, so I pulled out the win… but before that, it had by no means been assured. All in all, it was a great evening.

We sat around and talked for a while after the game, and I made sure to set up yet another date for her next day off of work. She seemed as excited as I was about our next meeting, and we sealed the evening with a torrid kiss.

I spent the next day painting, gardening, and fishing, catching up on the things I should have done the days before. It was turning out to be a fabulous day.

After finishing another painting, I headed down to the pond to catch something nice for dinner. Amazingly, I caught two, and figured I could have fish in the morning, too. But it seems that was not to be.

As I stepped into my camp, I was surprised by my friend Mariko who had decided to try her own hand at painting while waiting for me to come back from wherever I was. I was overjoyed to have company, and wondered at the coincidence of the two fish I’d caught.

We chatted while I cleaned the fish (and amazingly, she didn’t even seem squeamish about it!), and then we chatted some more. We talked about her job at the library, we talked about my paintings, we even talked a little about the changes that had happened to the town since my family left it, even though very little of it had been good.

I even went so far as to confess my feelings for the lovely Alex, and Mariko seems to be 100% in support. I sheepishly told her that I had been thinking about ring shopping, and she encouraged me, and even offered to come along for moral support.

By this time, however, both of our tummies were growling, so we set about making fish for dinner.

As it happens, though, Mariko isn’t very good at setting fires… unless it’s setting herself on fire.

Luckily, she was alright beyond some small burns that I carefully put some ointment on…. and I proceeded to take over fire duties for the night.

The fish was fabulous, crisp on the outside, flaky on the inside, and we both devoured our shares quickly.

Since it was a special night, I broke out some marshmallows… and we made S’Mores for dessert. She gave me a big hug on the way out the door… and we agreed to meet the day before Alex and I’s next date – to go pick out rings. Maybe it was a bit too soon, but I knew how I felt… and I hoped Alex did, too.

After Mariko left, I was cleaning up the campfire when one of the locals stopped by. It clearly was NOT to be a friendly visit, however, and she left me with a cryptic warning about leaving the old Vampire in the mansion, Vladislaus Straud, waiting.

As the sun rose on another day…. after my sleepless night as I watched the old mansion’s lights flickering on and off all night…. I shivered, dreading the confrontation that sounded like it was going to have to happen to get the old man and his.. friends? .. to leave me alone. I liked my life, I liked my home, and I wasn’t giving up either because of some night loving freaks. Still… I couldn’t help but wish I had real walls to keep me safe. And, with any luck, keep my beloved Alex safe, too. Thinking of her put a smile back on my face – at least for a moment. I couldn’t allow myself to dwell on her for too long, however, I had money to make if I was going to be able to care for her, too… and a house to save up for.

Chapter 4 | Chapter 6

Chapter 2.3 | Rules for this challenge | Chapter 2.5

Generation Two: Brown

Appearance: Brown hair, unkempt clothing style
Traits: Loves Outdoors, Loner, Child of the Island
Aspiration: Beach Life
Occupation: Conservationist
House Goal: 20,000 worth

A Family Grows

Since Kali was born, I’ve been so busy I’ve barely had time to socialize, so when Mom and Dad came over for a visit and brought an island feast, I was overjoyed. I’m so glad my parents are around to see their grandkids growing.

We spent an enjoyable evening together, and I think they really liked getting to meet Kali. For a change, she was well-behaved and barely cried all night.

The next day, however, it was back to the grind of being a parent. The laundry line broke, so I was outside fixing it when a storm blew in. It quickly went from just rain into a real Monsoon, and I hurried back indoor.

Luckily, Aleki didn’t have to go meet any clients while it was storming, and was able to do all his work from home. We’ve really both been working hard to make money for another expansion to the house. With Kali growing up soon, we’ll need the extra room.

I’ve been slacking on my aspiration – which is currently to do a lot of beach-combing and grilling, so after the storm passed, I spent some time digging in the sand. Didn’t find much in the dark, though, so I’ll have to do some more in the coming days while I’m out surveying the land for work. Needing to grill stuff is another reason we’re upgrading the house – we’ll finally be getting a real deck to relax on by the ocean!

Kali had her birthday, and grew up to be a real silly girl. She seems to be getting into everything at once, and I wonder how my parents made it through the toddler stages. I’ll be glad when I’m not chasing her around the house anymore. … Or do you always end up chasing your kids, I wonder?

Parenting is a never-ending task, it seems.. and keeping up with the household chores just makes each day exhausting. I count myself lucky that we finally are getting a bigger house, but taking care of it is seeming like a monumental task.

Kali is progressing quickly in her skills, though. She loves playing with blocks, and the dollhouse we got her seems to be one of her favorite toys. I read her to sleep each night, and Aleki comes in to give her a goodnight kiss, too.

Speaking of Aleki, we take what time we can together, and he’s really been an amazing partner. He seems to always be there when I need him, and he tries to help around the house as much as he can.

I’ve been feeling sick to my stomach lately, though, which means more cleaning.. but it could also mean something else. I steel myself for what the reaction might be… and I go to tell Aleki.

“Guess what?”

Aleki was concerned that it seems like we JUST had Kali, and he knows we’ll have to deal with two toddlers at once, but he was excited at the same time. The prospect of a new baby keeps me with a smile on my face – despite the fact that I seem to be far more sick this pregnancy than I was the last time.

With the big expansion to the house, We also ordered a fish pond built for Aleki. He’s really been working hard, getting commissions on almost a daily basis, sometimes more than one a day, and I decided that he deserved a treat just for him. When the pond was finally done, he was overjoyed to stock it full of Koi fish. He spent hours in the pet store picking out just the right one – while I tried wrangling Kali away from the hamsters and small pets.

Speaking of his work, he’s really been doing well. His commissions are often more than a couple thousand dollars, which means neither of us are really worrying about being able to pay the bills and take care of our growing family. That really takes a load off of our shoulders, and is MUCH appreciated.

Harvestfest arrived with very little fanfare, and Aleki let me sleep in. I’ve been so tired, I really needed the break. When I did wake, it was midafternoon, and I found Kali and Aleki quietly playing in her room, trying very hard not to wake me. It was so sweet.

Aleki says his “Zen” moment every day is when he goes out to feed his new fish – and I can definitely see that he is glad for the opportunity to get out of the house.

The expansion was finished today, and both of us are overjoyed.

We now have a full dining room, and a living room to gather in with friends and family.

The kitchen, also, got a couple upgrades, and I have some upper cabinets to store things in, now.

I adore the new deck area, and I plan to have a house party over the weekend to invite the family to see our new house and .. well, just get together. It’s been a while, and I want to spend some time with them.

The house expansion was finished none too soon, because late that night I went into labor. With Kali asleep in the next room, we decided to do a home birth, and Aleki tried very hard (and unsuccessfully) not to panic.

Before long, though, our son Jayce was born… and both of us were thrilled to put him to bed for the night and get some more sleep ourselves.

Kali seems to like the house expansion as much as we do, and spends a lot of time wandering around the new room, curiously touching everything. Luckily, none of the new knick-knacks are breakable, and she’s been surprisingly gentle with them.

To top off the week, Aleki got a record commission of almost 4 thousand dollars! It was an amazing thing, and I’m so glad his talent is finally being really rewarded. With commissions like that, he’ll be able to spend less time working, and more time with the kids, which is never a bad thing.

(A/N: This family is too cute. They’re very close to each other, and seem to really enjoy spending time together. Both parents are doing well in their careers, and the house is WAY past the monetary goal for the generation. I just need a couple more promotions for Kimber, and to finish her aspiration, and then it’ll be all about raising the kids. Oh, one other note – I did give little Kali a makeover and change her hair color with thoughts to the next generation’s theme – red – so if you’re wondering where the red hair came from, that’s where. I will let Jacye grow up into whatever clothes and colors EA gives him, but it just made sense to start Kali’s theme early so that it won’t be a huge abrupt change in hair color when she grows up.) Lastly, this story was not only nominated for a golden plumbbob, but we won Best Legacy!

Chapter 2.3 | Rules for this challenge | Chapter 2.5

Chapter 1.1 | Chapter 1.3

Caizey held her train ticket in sweaty palms, and watched the train pull up to the station. She couldn’t believe that this was what she was going to do… and her stomach was tied in empty knots. Once she got on that train, there was no turning back. She had already determined that there was no way she could afford a ticket back to Oasis Springs once she got to Glimmerbrook. Turns out trains were expensive. She had already placed a call to the Gallery where she had been working, and quit her job.. and her last hundred bucks was still in her pocket. This just HAD to work out.

The train whistle blew, and, with a heavy sigh, Caizey walked to the train, and pulled herself aboard. Turns out the ticket really was valid.. and she was on her way. She absent-mindedly found a seat on the train, and looked out the window. She wondered what the rest of the day would be like, and whether she would ever see Oasis Springs again. Tears appeared at the edge of her eyes, and she fought them back. Hopefully, this was a good thing, right? She was going to have her very own home. Things just had to be looking up… because there certainly couldn’t be any way for them to still be going down.

Before she knew it, the train had arrived in Glimmerbrook, and she was deposited, mostly alone, on the station platform with her battered luggage. Based on the hand-drawn map on the back of the letter, she should be able to walk to her new home… and, at a loss for what else she could do.. she picked up her bags and started walking.

An exhausting hour later, she walked up to a huge house. If you could call it that. No windows, no wall paint.. But the guy was right, it did have doors. And a roof. Hardly able to believe her eyes, she dropped her bags, and walked up to the front stairs. The mailbox flag caught her attention, and she pulled down the door to the mailbox to find another aged envelope with her name on it. Inside, she found a key. And nothing else. Grasping the key, she walked up to the door, and tried it out. It worked! The door squeaked open, and the smell of dust and cobwebs assailed her senses.

Stifling a sneeze, she walked in, and simply stared. In the darkness inside, she could JUST make out a pile of things in the front room. A bundled-up tent, a box that said it contained an Easel, a set of paints, brushes, and some canvasses, and a tube like you would store posters in. Curious, she drug the  tube out to the front porch where there was more light. Inside, apparently, were the house’s blueprints. Well, at least it was supposed to have windows. Apparently they’d never gotten quite that far.

Sighing in frustration, Caizey drug her bags inside, placed them by her new tent, and pulled out the letter to re-read for the thousandth time. The bit about the portal and the person to contact drew her attention, and, for lack of anything else to do – she didn’t have a flashlight, and the house was too dark to explore without one – she dumped out her backpack on the floor. After re-packing it with the tent and painting supplies, She locked up and pocketed the key.

The path the letter talked about was easy enough to find, and it led on towards the sound of rushing water. Following it, eventually she stepped out on to a huge cliff at the top of a waterfall. The portal the letter mentioned was right there – and – with her heart in her throat, Caizey stepped up to it. Reaching her hand out to it tentatively, she could feel rushing air and a spinning sensation appeared in her head. Resolutely, she took a deep breath and stepped into it.

She nearly ended up on her face with dizziness in a twilight world, and she was immediately sure that those portals were going to take some getting used to. Looking around herself, she righted her clothes, and walked towards the immense building in front of her. Someone was coming out the door as she reached it, and making quick inquiries, she was pointed in the direction of the basement steps to find this L Faba person.

L Faba turned out to be a light-skinned, lilac-haired woman with a welcoming smile. Caizey introduced herself, and L Faba said that she had been expecting her. She went into a long explanation about what was expected of a “Spellcaster”, and Caizey tried her best to listen.

After a few minutes, she broke into L Faba’s monologue.

“I’m confused.” Caizey started. “I’m not a Spellcaster – how am I to do all these things expected of me without being one?!”

“Oh – of course.” L Faba replied, “I forgot the most important part.”

With that, and a quick wave of her wand, L Faba flung some purple bits of light into Caizey’s face.

“Go outside, and find me seven motes. You’ll know them when you see them. Bring them back to me.”

Feeling even more queasy, Caizey climbed the stairs, went outside, and immediately noticed the “motes” that she hadn’t been able to see before. They were little balls of light, and they were scattered around the lawn. Quickly, she went about picking up seven of them, and before long, she headed back down the stairs with the globes of light.

L Faba seemed delighted, took them from her, and asked her to step back.

Caizey stepped back, unsure of what was going on, and watched L Faba begin to wave her wand again. This time, a blue light emanated from it, and Caizey felt herself pulled off the ground into the air.

A tingling sensation travelled the length of her body, and settled in her fingertips as her feet again touched the floor.

“There.” L Faba said, “Now you’re a Spellcaster. You have much to learn, though, and I suggest you get to it. Don’t forget all I told you, and, above all, follow your heart. When you’re ready, come back to me, and I can teach you spells and potion recipes.” And with just that, she abruptly turned and headed upstairs, leaving Caizey standing alone near the huge cauldron, more than a little bemused. Shaking herself to get rid of the lingering tinglies, she followed L Faba up the stairs, and immediately began exploring her surroundings. After finding all the rooms in the main building, she went outside, and found some more portals.

Going through one of them, Caizey found herself in a marketplace of sorts with a beautiful fountain in the middle. It seemed mostly deserted, though, and she wondered where everyone was.

Out of curiosity, she approached the stores, and talked to the ghosts behind the counters. Of course, everything was far too expensive, but it seemed there were wands, brooms to ride, familiars, spell and potion supplies, and even magical tomes to buy. Everything a Spellcaster might need – and then some.

Caizey stepped back from the stores, and thought for a moment. What next? Clearly, she was going to need money. And the best way to do that was painting. She set down her backpack, and pulled out the easel. Quickly, she found out that it wasn’t very hard to set up, and before long, she was hawking her wares like any street artist.

Before long, she had gotten her first commission, and she set to work.

People practically appeared out of nowhere, and watched her curiously as she did her work. It was terribly distracting, but at least she was able to make a little bit of money as the evening progressed. At least – she thought it was evening. It was very hard to tell in the perpetual twilight around here. After a while, she realized she was going to have to head back to the main building and find a bathroom. She quickly packed up and headed back through the portal.

Thankfully, a bathroom was easy enough to find, and Caizey was quick to make use of it.

With everything that had happened, her stomach was growling quite loudly, so she made use of one of the cauldrons placed around the building, and made a huge pot of mac and cheese. Several other Spellcasters came and joined her meal, and before long, she felt so much better.

She explored the bookshelves, and found a history of Spellcasters. Out of curiosity, she sat down and began reading. She didn’t get too far into it, however, before she realized just how tired she was… and she re-shelved the book, and headed outside to find a place to set up her tent.

After trying out another portal, which sent her to a lovely garden house with no one around, she decided this was probably the best place. Exhausted, Caizey set up the tent, struggling a bit with the rods and material for a while before the whole thing came together. Unsure how to feel about the whole day, she climbed inside, rolled out the sleeping bag, and crawled inside. Before long, she was blessedly sound asleep, in a dreamless twilight world of lights and spells.

Chapter 1.1 | Chapter 1.3

Chapter 3 | Chapter 5

Alex and I met at the cafe with a kiss and an embrace. After a few minutes of coaxing, I managed to talk her into going out to the local Italian restaurant for a nice dinner. She knew I was still a “struggling artist” and didn’t want me to spend my money on her, but, eventually, I convinced her it wasn’t going to break my bank account.

We walked hand in hand along the quay, and I told her about how well my paintings had been selling lately, while she chatted about a possible promotion she might be getting at work. Before I knew it, we had arrived, and I quickly requested a table.

At the restaurant, she confidently ordered for both of us, and I approved of her choice. It had certainly been a while since I’d had pasta (since most of my meals came from the pond or my cooler), and I stifled a smile. It would do me no good to tell her about my living situation… at least, not yet. I was trying to impress her, not drive her away!

We flirted lightly while waiting for the food. I blew her a kiss, and she seemed delighted by the gesture. I noticed that the restaurant was filling up quickly, and was glad we had been seated outside in a semi-private corner.

By the time the waitress brought the food, we barely took the time to say thank-you, because we were so engrossed in our conversation. It seemed we had a lot in common, and she was easy to talk to. Easy on the eyes, too, if I could say so without sounding horrible cheesey.

The pasta was delicious, and the date a huge success. We both went home with a smile, and I made sure I tipped well on our way out the door. At the last minute, I remembered to secure another date with her for the weekend, and I told her we could do something fun, but I left out the details. I had a couple ideas, but I didn’t want to give them away just yet.

Early the next morning, I awoke to a huge Summer thunderstorm. Lightning struck, and I felt electrified. Terrified, I ran to Sonia’s house for shelter, because I doubted my tent would suffice.

I was thoroughly soaked, and more than a little bit dazed by the time I got to Sonia’s, and I thanked my lucky stars (it seemed I might have a few of those, after all!) that she was home. She hurried me inside and got me a towel to dry off with.

Through the hours while the storm raged, we chatted happily. I learned why she had cat furniture all over her home – and no cat. Her last cat had passed away several months before I arrived in Forgotten Hollow, and she hadn’t had the heart to get a new one. I could understand the need for a grieving period, even though I’d never really had a pet. We talked about my paintings, and the success I was finding selling them at the Gallery.

By the time the storm started calming down, I was starving, and she was kind enough to feed me. It wasn’t much – just a sandwich – but I was immensely appreciative. It seemed Sonia had done so much for me lately. She had been very instrumental in bringing back my will to live and soldier on.. and I wondered how I could thank her properly.

All the next night, and into the morning, I pondered this. It wasn’t an easy question to answer, that’s for sure.

I took care of my garden, and my bees, and still I thought. By afternoon, the sun had finally made another appearance, and I’d had an idea.

I searched on my phone, and finally found the number for the local pet adoption center. After a long conversation with the man who answered the phone, I finally settled on a little beige kitten named Prissy, and I arranged for her to be brought over to my .. erm.. home.

I cautiously approached the kitten, and was delighted to find it to be wonderfully friendly, if a little too talkative for my tastes. The adoption agent was more than skeptical about my ability to care for the tiny kitten, but I assured him that the cat was not for me, it was for a cat-crazy friend. The agent mumbled about it being “highly unusual” to be giving a kitten to one person just to have it go to someone else, but eventually, I convinced him this cat would definitely be getting her forever home, and he seemed eager to be leaving the area. I wondered why, but he seemed more than a little apprehensive, and kept looking worriedly over his shoulders.

By the time the adoption fees finally changed hands, it was nearly evening, and I regretted my choice to wear my suit coat that day, because it had gotten quite warm in the sun. I gathered up the tiny meowing kitten, and hurried over to Sonia’s for the second day in a row.

The light that came into her eyes when she saw little Prissy made all the trouble getting the cat worth it. I thought I even saw a little tear in the corner of her eye, but I wasn’t about to call her out on it.

She gave me a big hug when she found out I had gotten the cat for her, despite the fact that she protested that she really hadn’t done all that much for me. I completely disagreed, of course. We watched the kitten exploring her new home for a while, and I helped set up the food and water bowls that had been sitting in her cupboards for months.

By the time I left for the night, little Prissy had clearly taken Sonia’s home as hers, and she watched me go from her perch on the top of Sonia’s porch stairs. I gave her one final scratch behind the ears, and even whistled a little on the way home.

The next morning, bills arrived in the mail, and I wondered how the heck they had already gotten so high, when all I really used was a little bit of water for showering. I cursed that Landgraab fellow under my breath, sure he’d had something to do with getting the property taxes mixed in with the rest of the bills so soon. I made out the checks to the necessary parties, and sent them off, thankful I had already saved a bit of a nest egg from selling my paintings.

Then, I hurried to my easel to get some more painting done. I needed to recoup the money I had just spent, after all… and with as inspired and happy as I felt, I had plenty to paint about. Life was going great. I couldn’t ask for more. Except, maybe, for a house. But that would come. I still hadn’t had the guts to apply for the permits and stuff.. and I would have to start thinking about a design for it. Eventually. For now, my mind was focused on my paintings.. and on planning the upcoming second date with Alex. I couldn’t have anything go wrong now, not when everything was starting to look so bright!

Chapter 3 | Chapter 5

Chapter 2.2 | Rules for this challenge | Chapter 2.4

Generation Two: Brown

Appearance: Brown hair, unkempt clothing style
Traits: Loves Outdoors, Loner, Child of the Island
Aspiration: Beach Life
Occupation: Conservationist
House Goal: 20,000 worth

Life Cycles

I start this entry with a heavy heart. A friend and co-worker, Wiki, has passed away. I just got the news this morning. Unable to get any more sleep after that phone call, I elected to get up early and do some household chores.

Washing laundry makes me wish I had an electric washer and dryer, but there are other needs that come before the “wants” – especially now that I’m pregnant.

The pregnancy, however, has been pretty rough, and I’ve been sick much of the time. Which means more chores to clean up the toilet. Just what I need.

Aleki has been doing really well at work, however, and has been getting better paying commissions, which is really wonderful. He really enjoys the work, even if going out to meet the clients can sometimes be very annoying and time consuming.

I’ve lately been working on my Logic skill, as getting another promotion is out of my reach until I gain another point in it. It’s hard to concentrate with the baby jumping around, though.

My brother, sister-in-law, and father stopped by to bring some nice island food for the fridge. Means that I have less cooking to do, which is good when the smells sometimes make me sick.

I took the opportunity to tell everyone the big news. My dad seemed overly happy to hear about another grandkid, and he promised to tell Mom as soon as he got home. My brother and Meilani, however, didn’t seem surprised, and I caught them sharing a secret smile. Makes me wonder if there will be more kids coming for them soon.

It sure was nice to spend some time with family, though, and it helped alleviate the sadness I felt about Wiki passing on.

Aleki has been so helpful around the house since I’ve been pregnant. I only hope it isn’t a phase .. and he keeps it up after the baby is born.

Aleki has won an award – and a promotion – for his hard work. Luckily, it even came with a bonus.. which means that the house expansion we’d been talking about can become a reality. Between his paychecks and mine we’ve been able to save up quite a bit.

So, I called the local construction company, and had them get busy. They assured me they could get everything we wanted done before the baby was born.

They were as good as their word, and before I knew it I had a REAL kitchen. With a stove and everything! I just needed to buy some stools to sit on at the counter, but that shouldn’t be tough.

We also had a real bedroom, too. With room for the baby’s bassinet. Finally, we also had a bathtub in the bathroom, too, and some upgraded plumbing, since our little mermaid would need baths. Just plopping him or her into the ocean wasn’t going to cut it, I knew.

I wasn’t able to do much in the way of work in these final days before the baby came, so I took some time off and worked on my Logic skill instead. I finally got to the point that I should get a promotion when I go back after the baby is born.

Aleki has been browsing parenting forums, and keeps coming in with all sorts of tips from them. I appreciate his willingness to learn, although I am doubtful all those tips will be useful once we get to the hands-on part of parenting.

Aleki was also the first one to try out the new stove, much to my horror. He claimed he was craving mac and cheese, and I had to tell him cravings aren’t really a “thing” for expectant dads like they are for pregnant moms.

Luckily, nothing bad happened, and we enjoyed a nice, actual “sit down” dinner for the first time. I was still determined to eventually get a real dining table like the one I grew up with, but a room for when the little one grew up was a more pressing need.

Speaking of the baby.. Aleki and I woke up in the night, and we just knew it was time. He, of course, panicked, and trundled me off to the hospital as fast as he could.

The Doctor seemed nice, and the check in procedure was quick, but poor Aleki couldn’t contain his nervousness. He ran around the hospital like a maniac, trying to make sure he didn’t miss anything.

The machine made me nervous, being that it seemed very frightening, but the doctor was extremely calm and seemed competent.

Poor Aleki still hadn’t been able to calm down, as I strained to birth our firstborn.

It seemed like hours, but before long, the pain was over, and our little girl, Kali, was born. We proudly took her home, took care of her needs, and fell back into bed, exhausted.

To celebrate our new kitchen.. and the baby, we invited some island friends over for a Kava party. Everyone was amazed at how much the house had changed since I started with a one room hut, and the baby was cooed over by everyone. I got a gold award for the party, which helped my aspiration out, and everyone seemed to have a great time.

The party, once over, left me with a huge mess, however. Just what I needed. Aleki was more than happy to help clean up, however, and we got things back shipshape before you know it.

Kali has been a great baby, and we’ve both been thrilled to be able to work from home to watch her grow. Every day is something new with her, and just recently she’s even been starting to crawl. I suspect we’ll have a toddler before we know it.

Monday arrives with the bills, but they’re not a problem to be dreaded anymore, so I send off the check, and get back to my baby girl inside the house. Aleki is off meeting with a client, but nap-time gives me the moments I needed to check the fish traps, take some pictures of some turtles for work, and have time to do some chores, too. Life couldn’t be better for now.. even though I still miss Wiki!

(A/N: Sorry it’s been so long since I posted anything for these guys! Now that I’m back to playing, it shouldn’t be so long between posts anymore.)

Chapter 2.2 | Rules for this challenge | Chapter 2.4

“The Letter” (Prologue) | Chapter 1.2

Caizey stared in disbelief at the letter she held. Was this guy serious? She gets kicked out of her foster home on her 18th birthday, and the last thing they give her is a letter that her foster care agent had apparently forwarded to her from her “family”. She didn’t have a family, so where did this come from? And that wasn’t even taking into consideration the contents of the letter. In a heartbeat, she had gone from wondering what she was going to do with the 100 bucks she had to her name, to furious at whoever this person mailing her was. How DARE they make fun of what she didn’t have by offering her a “way out of her situation”. I mean, sure, she felt completely suffocated by her job at the Gallery, but at least it gave some sort of income. How could she even consider quitting and moving at the drop of a .. letter .. when this job was the only stability left in her life. Frustrated, she stared at the diploma she’d just been awarded in one hand, and then glanced at the letter in the other hand. The bulk of her last paycheck had gone towards the cap and gown she now wore, and – while she had enough money to go out to dinner to celebrate with her high school friends – she certainly didn’t think that was the best use of her last hundred dollars.

Near tears, Caizey plopped down on the bench near the Oasis Springs community center’s doors, put the papers she held down, and dropped her head into her hands. People – mostly happy families headed out to celebrations or overly excited teenagers chatting loudly in groups – streamed past her, heedless of her emotional distress. The last week had been a whirlwind of final exams, and her friends all making college and career plans. Meanwhile, at the last minute, her foster family informed her she would have to find someplace else to be, because they had another new “kid” coming in. So now she was utterly homeless, and pretty much penniless, too. She had thought that, at least, she would have time to find a new place to live after her birthday and graduation. That was obviously not to be the case.

After a good cry, Caizey picked up the letter again, and this time, a paper fluttered out of the envelope that she hadn’t noticed before. She picked it up, and stared at it through her red-rimmed eyes. A ticket? On a train. To this Glimmerbrook place. … Was this guy actually serious? Was there any chance she could actually own her own place and have a new start waiting for her?

Caizey cursed, then looked around her. The place was practically empty now, and there certainly wasn’t anyone who was going to help her with her current predicament. The sun was not going to be up for much longer, and time was running out. She was going to have to spend a cold desert night completely alone and homeless. However, the train station wasn’t far away. Maybe she could just check when the next train to this Glimmerbrook was.

Mind made up for the moment, Caizey picked up her bags, stuffed her diploma and the letter inside a pocket, and began the walk to the train station.

A couple hours later, as the sun was setting, she drug herself and her bags into the train station, only to find the place completely deserted. She set down her bags near a bench, and tiptoed into the train office. Finding the scheduling book open on the desk, she sat down to look through it. There it was – Glimmerbrook. The next train didn’t leave until morning. Nearing complete exhaustion, Caizey set herself down on a bench inside the station, and re-read the letter. Then she read it again. A small bubble of hope started forming inside her. What if…??

No, this couldn’t be real. Could it?? How was she to know if it was real or not? At least the town on the ticket that came with the letter was real, and the ticket seemed completely valid. That was a start. A house all of her own – and a life of freedom. It was almost too good to be true. But, then, beggars can’t really be choosers, as the saying goes. She wasn’t particularly fond of the idea of ever having kids, but the letter did say she didn’t have to have them anytime soon. She read the letter a few more times… and finally, at a complete loss of what else to do, she laid down to take a nap on the bench.

Morning came, and with it, a sense of clarity. How could she refuse to take this .. quest – as the letter called it – seriously. She really didn’t have a whole lot of options at this point in her life. If it was just a cruel joke, she could cross that bridge when it came time. For now, she had a train to catch. Provided the ticket was real.

“The Letter” (Prologue) | Chapter 1.2

Welcome/Contents/Links | Chapter 1.1

My Dearest Caizey,

You do not know me, but I know you. You are a talented painter, and a strong young woman. I have watched you grow through the years, and I have waited. Now, as you become a young adult, it is time. I will not tell you who I am… but that is not something you need to know. Just call me your benefactor. For I have an.. inheritance.. of a sort – for you. It does not come without strings, however, so you are free to choose whether you will accept. 

First, the good news. I have found you a house. At least, it is four walls, a roof, a door or two. You know, the normal house things. It is on a beautiful lot in a small hamlet known as Glimmerbrook. The house was under construction for many years before the company building it went under bankruptcy and I acquired it. For you, it will become home. Should you accept, that is.

For your part, you must do several things. There is a portal near the waterfall behind your new home. Make use of it, and search out a woman named L Faba. She will train you in the ways of Spellcasting. Learn all you can from her. Become a master of Mischief Magic. Learn to duel other Spellcasters, and win. Her colleagues may also be of use to you, but that is your choice. You must also have at least one child, someone to raise in the way of a Spellcaster, someone to carry on your legacy. I would not presume as to tell you who you should pick out as a father for this child, nor will I tell you that you must marry them or even continue a relationship with them. You should avail yourself of the Transcendent Charmer potion to court this father at the Elixir’s and Brews Bar in Glimmerbrook. Timing on this is completely at your discretion.

I also ask that you grow a garden that your heir can harvest from to give them a grounded start to their new life as they set out on their own. For they will. You will remain behind, but they must set out on their own when they are old enough. When they are ready, I will offer them a quest much as I offer this one to you. This garden must contain at least two plants – a Mandrake that you originally took from the wilds, and a Money Tree. Anything else is, again, your decision.

My only other request is that you do not seek out employment. You are talented enough to make money through your paintings and garden. I believe that employment would chain you down far too much. You should be wild, and free to move about as you wish in your own time, not on someone else’s.

I do not believe these things are too much to ask, considering the dire straits you find yourself in, and the opportunity I am presenting you. However, should you choose to refuse, I will not contact you again. This must also be a timely decision, as I only will hold the home for you for the next week. I am enclosing directions to get to said home with this missive. I am not, however, enclosing any information as to who I am and how to contact me. There is no need, as if I need to contact you, I will know where you are, and I prefer to remain anonymous. This must also be your final decision. Once you have accepted this quest, there will be no backing out. The deed for your new home will be transferred and delivered to you in a timely manner. Fulfilling your side of the bargain will be your responsibility.

Choose Wisely. It is only the rest of your life.

Welcome/Contents/Links | Chapter 1.1

Welcome to my cleverly titled “Broomstick Files” challenge. *chuckles* I wanted to play around with the new “Realm of Magic” pack, and this was one of the first challenges I found that piqued my interest. I started the challenge, and continued with play.. and then I took my break from sims. When I came back, I re-read the rules to help re-familiarize myself with the challenge…. and I discovered something rather major. I’d already messed up. Instead of having the heir in the way the rules stated, I had gotten married and done things the way I usually would. I’d built a house that I adored, and had played for quite a while. Because of this, I considered just continuing, but I hate breaking challenge rules. So I thought about just using the sim I had saved from the start of my challenge and just starting over.. but that felt wrong, too. So, being addicted to starting challenges as I am, I made a new sim.. and started COMPLETELY over. Which meant a couple things. One, I needed a new house, because a starter sim couldn’t afford the one I had built for the other sim. And two, I had to change my new signature/header graphic to reflect the different sim. Oh, and it also meant all the pictures I had taken and organized for the beginning of the challenge were useless.

And – just because I’m a glutton for punishment, the threads of a story had already started dancing in the back of my head, and wouldn’t let me go. I had initially planned to just go commentary style, because it’s infinitely easier… but I couldn’t get the story out of my head, even while playing the beginning of the challenge. Everything my sim did just solidified the story, and made things more and more “real”. So… against my better judgement… and after hours and hours of deliberation and arguing with myself.. I’ve decided that this will become my fourth current challenge that’s done story-style.