Boreal Springs

August 4, 2008

Anderson 3 – Round 17: ‘Fiery Red, Pt. 2′

Filed under: Anderson — Tags: , , , , — Mao @ 9:27 am

Nathaniel Anderson and Sara O`Hanlon enjoy their unwedded bliss and their two children, even if they don’t understand them. Patrick is fast becoming an egocentric misogynist while Sade can’t pass a mirror without admiring herself in it. To make matters worse… Sara’s been feel a little ill lately.

Sara was distraught over the loss of her father, Derek O`Hanlon. Along with that, she was dealing with the astronomical amount of divorces currently taking place in Boreal Springs. She needed a break, that much was certain. Nathaniel took some time off work and the kids had a break in school coming up, so they were set to head off to the mountains for some R&R.

Sade and Patrick weren’t too keen on being surrounded by burly lumberjacks and towering pines.

Before heading to the shuttle, Patrick had to admire himself in the mirror. While most would remark that his collection of features was odd… it was also unique. That uniqueness would help him achieve his ultimate dream–stardom. He could use his smarts and his good looks to skyrocket himself to fame unknown. As long as he was making money and being admired, it was all good.

They arrived at their resort hotel without a hitch and the two kids realized they’d be living in the lap of luxury for the better part of a week. Warming up to the idea of the outdoors, they accompanied their parents to a nearby logging area. Patrick was sure he could throw axes without an issue, but was proven wrong when only one hit the bull’s eye. Sade claimed she could do better, if only they’d let her actually throw an axe!

Sara decided to show her son how it was done and landed each axe perfectly within the bull’s eye, much to Patrick’s humiliation and Nathaniel’s fear. Where Sara had picked up her logging prowess, none could say, but she could certainly throw an axe with the best of them.

Despite feeling ill the entire trip, Sara still managed to beat Nathaniel several times at log rolling. Of course, Nathaniel claimed she was quite obviously cheating. Sara just laughed and beat him again. She was definitely more athletically geared than her male counterpart, even if she did spend a lot of time in the court room.

Patrick decided that it might be fun to fish. Nathaniel wasn’t too keen on the idea, being a nautically minded man. Patrick was overjoyed when he caught a huge catfish, but grumbled incoherently when Nathaniel insisted he that apologize and put it back. Fish had feelings too.

Sara was feeling even worse during the last leg of the vacation, so she spent a lot of time lounging around. Sade mostly stayed with her, content to sit and watch people walk by. It was surprisingly calm, despite being in the middle of winter, and strangely warm, too. It only flurried once, though it didn’t accumulate. They didn’t even have rain. They couldn’t have picked a better time to come.

The night before they were set to leave, Nathaniel decided to voice his concerns about Sara’s state of health. Of course, being a male, he wasn’t exactly tactful about it.

“You’re looking a little bit like a beachball, Sara,” he said, eyes falling on her stomach. She hadn’t gained much weight, but her normally flat abdomen had puffed out a bit. “Are you pregnant?”

“I think so,” Sara said. “I don’t want to believe it, but it would make sense.”

When they returned home, Sara scheduled an appointment immediately with her physician. Sure enough, she was pregnant. The doctor told her to be careful, since she was older, she was more fragile. Nathaniel wasn’t exactly keen on the idea of another child–he would be an elder soon–but he supported Sara. It wasn’t like she did it all by herself.

He just hoped the baby didn’t turn out like their other two kids… which worried him immensely. Patrick the evil, egocentric genius and little Sade, the budding beauty queen.

———-

Note from Mao: Nathaniel and Sara woohoo’d ONCE before they went on vacation. ONCE! I thought it was safe because they were both getting up in years and InTeen puts a drop in fertiliy the older a sim gets. Gah. At least Sara is a little younger than Nathaniel… and I definitely won’t bemoan their genetics spreading.  Pointy ears, yay!

July 25, 2008

Anderson 3 – Round 16: ‘Fiery Red, Pt. 1′

Filed under: Anderson — Tags: , , , , , — Mao @ 8:26 pm

Nathaniel Anderson and Sara O`Hanlon are finding that all children are not the same. While Patrick was a well-behaved little angel, Sade is a bit more of a… trial.

Sara found herself up late again, trying desperately to get little Sade to go to sleep. She was so unlike Patrick as a baby that it was almost unbelievable. Sade cried often, demanding Sara or Nathaniel’s constant attention. It was often hard to keep up with her, as they both led very busy lives.

Sara was even busier now, thanks to the mess the whole Anderson divorce had caused. As one of Gordon’s trusted people, Sara was very much involved in his the legal proceedings leading up to his divorce. It helped that Mary’s mother was also involved. He had a legal team and a half to ensure that Michael was his. It was daunting work, though, and with Sade being such a fussy baby, Sara found herself quite exhausted.

Finally, Sade became a toddler, much to relief of both her parents. They were surprised by her pointed ears. Given that she did not have the purple skin, they hadn’t really expected her to take on any other traits. Unfortunately, Sade’s transition into a toddler didn’t make her any less needy. She still clung to her parents and cried when they dared leave her alone. It was tiring business, to be certain.

There was no reasoning for Sade’s lack of independence… she was incredibly demanding of their time and attention.

Luckily, Patrick was the opposite and was quite all right taking care of himself. The fact that Sade took all the attention didn’t bother him in the least. He was doing well at school and meeting various people. In fact, one day, he brought home Elena Davis, who was a striking likeness of his own mother.

Sara saw the similarities instantly and it all clicked together. Gordon had told her about Katy being Lauren, but he hadn’t said anything about her being pregnant. Sara knew to keep her mouth shut, but she couldn’t help but feel a slight pang everytime she looked at the child. They were almost twins in their appearance. It was a little disturbing.

Patrick became a teenager and was a great help to his parents with Sade. Unfortunately, Patrick’s normally clear head was clouded by the surge of teenage hormones. He still had deep thoughts and plenty of theories, but he was applying them to the opposite sex more than anything. Sara was a little concerned with her son’s obvious interest in girls, but Nathaniel assured her it was just a thing most males go through… which quickly earned him a hard smack upside the head and a glare.

Sade herself moved onto childhood.  She was quite the pretty little thing and while she still wanted attention, she found that there were other ways of getting it.  Even as a young girl, she took great care in her appearance, wanting her curly red hair bound up and elegant always.  It worked, of course.  Anywhere she went, she was complimented and fawned over.

Sade could definitely get used to this kind of attention.

———–

Note from Mao: Sade was an impossible baby and toddler.  I haven’t had so much trouble in ages.  Wow.  Both these kids are scaring me!  Patrick rolled Romance… arghh!  But at least there are secondary aspirations, right, RIGHT?  TOO MUCH ROMANCE! Oh and how creepy are Elena and Sara?  I never realized it until I saw them in the same room.  WOW.

Anderson 2 – Round 16: ‘Polyamorous, Pt. 5′

Filed under: Anderson — Tags: , , , , , , , — Mao @ 10:04 am

Florence and Shaniqua have an unsteady relationship while Kate and Shang’s makes theirs look like couple of the year material.  Poor little Hugh is still oblivious to the strangeness of his family, but how long will it last.  (pardon the outdated picture of Hugh, woops.)

As was usual for this particular household, Florence and Shang were in the middle of a rather loud row.  Florence had lit into him for his indiscretion with Alyssa while Shang had shot back with the implication that Kate had been dabbling in unseen forces.  Florence balked at this claim.

“A golden lamp?  Honestly, Shang, do you take me for that much of a fool?”

“Hey, I’m being real.  That girl of yours is sneaky.  You think I was really so careless as to knock ‘er up at college?”

Florence scowled, “you’re foul, Shang Yu, foul and disgusting.  I can hardly stand the sight of you.”  She stormed off.

Despite her initial anger at her son-in-law’s claim, Florence decided to seek out further counsel.  She spoke to her son, Nathaniel, who had been passing by one morning.  Of course, he was clueless.  Poor Nathaniel got the looks, but he certainly wasn’t the brightest of bulbs.

“A lamp?  Are you kidding?  I don’t know anything about that stuff, ask Lilith.”

Finding nothing on the lamp front and too proud to contact her daughter Lilith to inquire further, Florence relented.  She instead shared with Shaniqua what Alyssa had told her.  Shaniqua’s response was quite warranted.

“They what?” She gaped, completely aghast.  Shaniqua had screwed up in the past, but never with family.  What the hell were they thinking?  “That’s insane.”

“Isn’t it?  And I don’t know what to do.  If Kate were to ever know…”

“Alyssa should know better, too.  No wonder her marriage is over.  Sheesh.”

Meanwhile, Shang had been feeling the weight of married life.  Sure he had some fun with some ladies, but it wasn’t enough.  The stifling atmosphere he suffered at home was enough to kill a man.  He sought comfort outside, in the one person who could always provide it in endless quantities.

“This married life is killing me, babe.  I’m not sure how much longer I can take it.”

Katarina smiled and moved towards him, “poor baby, I know just what you need…”

Unfortunately for the both of them, Florence had been home at the time.  Busted was truly an understatement.  Shang hardly wanted to crawl out of the bed, knowing what awaited him when he did.  Goodness only knew what Florence would do to Katarina.

Florence lit into Katarina like a vengeful flame, only to be snuffed out before she began, “how could you do this–”

“You, shut up!  No one tells me what I can and what I can’t do,” Katarina hissed in response, giving Florence a sharp jab.  “You wanna blame someone, blame Kate.  She’s the idiot in this mess, not us.”

“Ladies, ladies, can’t we resolve this with kindness?”

“Shut up, Shang,” they said in unison, the Anderson tones in their voice quieting him instantly.

“Get out, Katarina.  If I ever see you in my house again, I swear…”

“I’m leaving,” Katarina said, rolling her eyes.  “Don’t bother with threats.”

“As for you,” Florence said, whirling around to face Shang, who had found his clothes on the floor and put them on.  “You are shameless!  In this bed, in my house!  I regret ever bringing you into this family.”

“It was a forced thing, I would’ve been happier has a bachelor,” Shang admitted, crossing his arms over his chest.  “Find the lamp yet, Florence?  Might want to, before Kate screws us all over.”

“There is no lamp, that’s just an excuse for your carelessness!”

“Is that so?  Then what is this?” Shang said, pulling the lamp from beneath the bed.  “Go ahead, look at it.  I’m outta here.”

Florence could scarcely believe her eyes.  The thing was huge and unmistakable, its golden sheen catching in the bright daylight.  How had Kate kept this so carefully hidden?  Florence didn’t want to venture a guess as to where it came from, she already knew.  It had to have been Lilith, but why?  Lilith was a lot of things, but she wasn’t stupid.  Didn’t she know what Kate had done with this vile thing?

With great effort, Florence hefted the lamp out of Kate and Shang’s room and hid it away in her own.

Meanwhile, Hugh had somehow managed to become a teen.  It was likely thanks to his grandma Florence’s tireless efforts.  While he hadn’t understood at first, he know knew that she was guiding him down the right path.  He was old enough to see how crazy his family was.  No one could say he wasn’t Shang’s son, though, as he was a remarkable likeness, though with softer features.

He desperately wanted a family, despite the nature of his father dwelling within him.  He would strive to fight it and he would succeed.

Hugh was happy to announce his first scholarship to Florence.  She was the one who had started him on the path towards college.

“I’m so proud of you,” Florence said, hugging him tightly.  Her time was short, she knew she’d never see him actually go, but the pride she felt knowing he would was enough.  “And so early, too.”

“It’s all thanks to you, grandma.  I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Don’t say that, sweetie.  You’re a good kid, you’ll always do fine, as long as you try and keep your wits.  Don’t be like your dad.”

He laughed, “but I like music!”

“Well, that’s fine, but you know what I mean.”

——–

Note from Mao: Phew, long update.  Katarina and Shang got buuuusted.  Woo!  And the lamp is revealed, ohnoes.  Hugh is, well, yeah.  Wow.  Where did he come from?  He’s a family sim with a LTW of golden anniversary, but a randomized roll of the dice has designated him to have a secondary as Romance.  Dun, dun, dun… Florence is on her last day.  She’ll die next round. :’(

July 16, 2008

Anderson 3 – Round 15: ‘Purple Progeny, End’

Filed under: Anderson — Tags: , , , , , , — Mao @ 11:38 am

Nathaniel Anderson and Sara O`Hanlon are happily unwed, much to Mary’s chagrin.  Their son, Patrick, has recently become a child and is slowly finding his way in the world.  Will Sara and Nathaniel’s abundant attention give him a good head start or will it cause him more trouble than its worth?

Derek O`Hanlon was happy to finally meet his grandson, Patrick.  Patrick was equally pleased, knowing that his grandfather was famous for several reasons.  None of the reasons really mattered all that much, though.  All that mattered was he was well-known and that was something Patrick admired.

In recent years, Patrick had formulated all sorts of opinions on the world around him.  Even Derek was stunned when Patrick began to discuss the pros and cons of robotic advances in recent years.  He even mentioned that you could download certain schematics online, though the microchips that ran them were behind closed doors.

Nathaniel and Sara weren’t really sure what to say when Patrick went off on his intellectual tangents.  They were more geared towards physical activity.  Nathaniel had hoped Patrick would follow in suit, and while he enjoyed playing around, his true passion involved crazy mathematics and probability theorems.

Even smart little Patrick couldn’t be prepared for what happened next.  Sara was pregnant again.  While they hadn’t really planned on having anymore children, it was a pleasant surprise.  It wasn’t like they were strapped for cash, not with Nathaniel’s job and Sara’s recent employment with Gordon Saunders.

Lilith dropped by frequently to visit her brother and to check in on Patrick.  She was intrigued by his odd coloring and the side-effects of such.  Neither she nor Nathaniel had experienced them and so it was an oddity.  Everyone in the neighborhood knew how much Lilith Yu enjoyed a good oddity.

“So, knocked up again, eh?” Lilith said casually, grinning.

“Lilith, don’t say it like that.  You make it sound so awful!”

“Well, if your pregnancies are anything like mine were, it probably is.  Walking around like a big blimp…” she shuddered and continued, “so do you think it’ll be purple like Patrick?”

“No,” Sara shook her head.  “The doctor said that it was a rarity and this child would likely be as normal as they come.  There were no odd readings on any of the tests like there were with Patrick.”

Despite the impending baby hanging over his head, Patrick continued to excel at everything he did.  He tried not to worry about the new baby by pouring himself into his studies.  It certainly paid off.  Even better, he had been accepted into the prestigious academy and was one of the few children there by merit.  Most parents just paid the headmaster off.

When it came time for Sara to give birth, Patrick kept a cool head.  Little Sade was deceptively cute and normal looking, but Patrick knew better.  Depending on how he played his cards, her addition to the family could be a good or a bad thing.  He planned to make it work towards his benefit.  So he hammed it up for his parents, pretending to enjoy the new baby and cooing at her as they did.  It worked.

He spent a lot of his time in Sade’s room; he was the very picture of a good big brother.  Of course, it wasn’t without gain.  If he was present for Sade, she’d trust him as she grew up.  Instead of being a bratty little sister, she’d be an obedient and loyal sister.  Instead of trashing his stuff, she’d respect it.

While he wouldn’t admit it, she was growing on him.  He was certain when she became a toddler that would wear off.  Everyone knew how annoying toddlers were.

———–

Note from Mao: Sara must have been pregnant the last time I played!  I completely forgot.  What a nice surprise.  I was hoping they’d have another baby.  I’m surprised how normal-looking she is.  She’s got everything from Eileen except her eyes, which are brown like Nathaniel’s.  Patrick is adorable, I hope he continues the attractive trend through his pixelated life.

July 15, 2008

Anderson 2 – Round 15: ‘Polyamorous, Pt. 4′

Filed under: Anderson — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — Mao @ 7:04 pm

Kate and Shang are now legally wed, which should please Florence, but she just can’t get over Shang’s inherent stupidity and lack of commitment.  Shaniqua is trying to protect Hugh from the possible trauma that a feuding father and grandmother could cause.

Florence loved Hugh dearly and that was why she couldn’t stand Shang.  Hugh had so many opportunities, but with Shang’s influence, it was possible he’d end up an ignorant, womanizing fool like his father.  Florence wasn’t about to sit idly by and let that happen.  She made sure to impress the importance of education on her young grandson, hoping to build the cornerstone of what would hopefully become a long, academic career leading to a fantastic job.

Hugh, while not completely dumb, was hardly any academic scholar.  He tried hard to please his grandma, but he really didn’t care all that much about school.

Seeing Hugh growing so fast made Kate long for another child.  When she voiced her desire to Shang, she was met with a rather unenthusiastic response.

“You’re kidding, right?” Shang replied.  He tried to smile but it came out as more of a nervous twitch at the edge of his lip.  Inside, he was screaming.

“No, why would I?  We’re both doing fine at work and Hugh could benefit from it–”

Shang shook his head, “you’re talking crazy and you know how I feel about crazy chicks, Kate.  Just be content and happy with Hugh.  He’s a good kid.”

Shaniqua knew that she had messed up a few times in her life, but she planned to do right by Hugh.  She didn’t want to see him scarred by her transgressions.  That was the only reason Florence was in such a horrible mood and why she refused to tolerate Shang’s ways.  Shaniqua knew he would never change and she wished that Kate would see that… but Kate was in love and love is blind.

So she made it her purpose to ensure that Hugh was loved and unable to see the tension that surrounded him.  She especially wanted to protect him from Shang’s nature.  Shaniqua knew how hard of an urge it was to fight… she wished only for Hugh not to suffer the same torment.

Being married didn’t slow Shang down any.  When he was home everyone else was usually at work and Hugh was off at school.  Shang didn’t waste any time welcoming Katarina back from college.  She’d grown a bit, but she hadn’t outgrown him.  Maybe if they weren’t so promiscuous, perhaps if they weren’t so caught up in the fleeting moments, they’d be good together.

But they were and so they were only happy with one another until the deed was done.  Then it was a quick kiss, a sly wink, and a closing door.

One evening, Hugh brought home in report card and stunned both his parents with all the A’s.  It seemed that Florence’s stalwart dedication was paying off.  Of course, Shang had to ruin the moment.

“That’s good, you little genius,” Shang’s face skewed up as he leaned down closer to his son, “but remember, chicks don’t dig nerds until they’re rich.”

“Shang!” Kate yelled angrily from over her book, brows set in a hard line.  “Don’t say things like that to him!”

“I’m only speaking the truth, babe.”

Hugh was growing like a weed everyday.  The years seemed to be slipping away and while Kate knew she was much younger than other mothers with children Hugh’s age, she couldn’t stop herself from feeling depressed.  She had promised Lilith that she’d leave the lamp alone, but desperate times called for desperate measures.  She tried the conventional way and it hadn’t worked… it was time to go back to unconventional methods.  At least that had proved itself before.

“Do you understand the repercussions of your request?” The genie asked, as he had before.

Kate waved him off.  She hadn’t seen any repercussions yet and she wasn’t like to anytime soon.  “Yes, yes, now can you do it or not?”

“We shall see… it is a troublesome task you ask.  It will take… time.”

“As long as it happens, I don’t care.”

“As you wish it, so then it shall be.”

Meanwhile, unaware of her daughter’s dabbling into the paranormal, Florence met with her younger sister Alyssa outside.  Alyssa was acting weird, even for her.  She insisted they go around the back to talk.  Florence was baffled.

“I did something stupid,” Alyssa said suddenly, her voice wavering.  “Really, really stupid… and I have to tell someone.  You’re the only one, Florence.  Dad is gone and you’re all I’ve got left.  So you have to listen, all right?  And you can’t get angry… not until I’ve said what I need to say.”

At this, Florence was instantly on edge.  She tried to play it off, but her tension was evident in her face, “well, say it then.”

“I slept with Shang.  It was a mistake, it was before the wedding, and it was–it was stupid.  I don’t know what happened.  I know it was wrong, and I wish I could go back and undo.  Thank everything that there wasn’t a child…”

“You what?!” Florence shouted, fists balling at her sides.  Had she ever been so angry?  Yes, and it was the same thing, over and over again.  Was it human nature to be promiscuous?  “Not only did you do something to wrong your family, your own damned niece, but you… you have children, Alyssa.  You have have a husband!  What were you thinking?  Of all the people… that idiot, that jabbering fool!  What could have possessed you to do something so stupid?”

Alyssa crossed her arms defensively, “I… I don’t know!  I was just so angry and he kept pressing and he was there… and I thought, I mean I was completely convinced Ryu was having an affair… with Tracey Saunders.  I know that sounds stupid, but at the time, it was completely reasonable.  I just… I needed to tell someone… you can’t tell Kate, though.  You can’t, Florence.  I couldn’t bear it!”

“You should be telling Ryu, not me!  I swear, am I the only one with a working brain around here?  Sleeping with Shang Yu!  Of all people!  Nevermind he’s Kate’s husband… I thought you had a better opinion of yourself, Alyssa.  I guess I was wrong.”

Thankfully, the next evening, Nathaniel dropped by with Sara and Patrick for a visit.  Hugh wasn’t quite sure what to make of his cousin Patrick.  They really didn’t have too much in common.  Patrick seemed a little too self-involved to bother talking about anything that he wasn’t particularly interested in.

Hugh had always thought his aunt and uncle were extremely strange and this was only solidified during their visit.  They were always hugging and being affectionate.  It was creepy.

———

Note from Mao: And after so long… Boreal Springs is back, yay!  Unfortunately, in the transition from my PC to my fiance’s… some things were lost.  Don’t ask me how, I don’t know, but a few hairstyles and clothing options went AWOL.  So, until I recover them, please ignore slight changes in well-known looks and styles of certain characters.  Thanks!

May 28, 2008

Anderson 3 – Round 14: ‘Purple Progeny, Pt. 2′

Filed under: Anderson — Tags: , , , , — Mao @ 1:25 pm

Nathaniel Anderson and Sara O`Hanlon have their first child who also bears the alien skin tone that Nathaniel inherited from his otherworldly father. Can little Patrick grow up happy and healthy?

For a long time, Sara had desired a pet. It had been difficult to convince Nathaniel that a pet was worth it; all he saw was puddles on the floor and destroyed furniture. With the arrival of Patrick, however, Nathaniel’s resolve softened and Sara was able to adopt a little puppy she named Starbuck*.

Starbuck was meant to be an outdoor dog, but the winter chill hadn’t ended and so Starbuck remained inside until spring finally sprung.

The arrival of spring was a happy occasion for both Nathaniel and Sara. Most of their favorite things in life required them to be outside and the snow only served to hamper them. Spring meant they could once again get into silly shouting matches over games of shootout–where Sara insisted that Nathaniel was obviously cheating.

It also meant that Patrick’s birthday was drawing near and soon he’d be a fully-functional toddler, ready to cause chaos where ever he roamed.

Nathaniel was incredibly pleased to see that his small son had also inherited his unique, pointed ears. Lilith had always been jealous of Nathaniel because hers were normal. It served to make Patrick stand out even more as the unique little guy he truly was.

Of course, he was spoiled. Sara and Nathaniel doted on him and anything he wanted, he received. It likely wasn’t good planning for the future; Patrick was already showing signs of thinking he was overly entitled and he refused to share with anything or anyone. But he always put on an angel face for his parents, so they really didn’t see it.

He adored Starbuck and would spend more time playing with her than his toys. His interest seemed to be science and at a young age, he showed a startling amount of aptitude. Nathaniel attributed it to the alien part of him. Poor Nathaniel never claimed to be incredibly intelligent, but he did know what he knew to a startling degree. Lilith was the same way, though her stubbornness definitely got in the way of her intelligence.

Patrick seemed to be without both of those faults and his intelligence shone through.

After spending a month away from Sara and Patrick, Nathaniel returned happy and fulfilled. He couldn’t exactly explain what he did or what he had saw, all he could say was he answered to nature now and his job was more important than ever. He wanted to relocate near the beach, but Sara didn’t want to move poor little Patrick. So they remained, but Nathaniel did not abandon his plans.

Tracey Saunders stopped by now and again to visit with Sara. She was incredibly thankful for the introduction to Aiyana Saunders, who had quickly become her best friend. Sara had done it only to quiet her husband, but she was finding her vast connections to everyone throughout the neighborhood was an alarmingly good resource. She knew everyone and was good friends with most.

Nathaniel was busy talking over his awards appearance for his work on cleaning up the local ocean.

Time progressed and soon, little Patrick wasn’t so little anymore. He stilled enjoyed Starbuck, but he spent a lot of time on his little ‘experiments’, too. Sara wasn’t as sure about them as Nathaniel. He encouraged Patrick’s curious mind while Sara worried he was going to blow something up.

Note from Mao: Patrick is acting like my fiance as a child. Scary. Oh, and updates may be sporadic or nonexistent for I’m not sure how long. My fiance’s connection is satellite (we’re out in the BOONIES) and we went over our dl/ul limit, so they cut our connection back hardcore. It’s impossible for me to upload ANYTHING, I’m glad I had these uploaded before hand. It’ll expire and we’ll go back to normal speed… just not sure when. Gah.

*Starbuck is a character from Battlestar Galatica.

May 12, 2008

Anderson 3 – Round 13: ‘Purple Progeny’

Filed under: Anderson — Tags: , , , , , — Mao @ 6:59 pm

Nathaniel Anderson and Sara O`Hanlon are happily unmarried.  While Sara is still reeling over the drama surrounding her father, Nathaniel is finding quite a bit of success in his chosen career.

Sara spent a lot of time alone.  Nathaniel left early in the morning and wouldn’t return until late evening.  Sometimes he had to leave for several days at a time.  It wasn’t a terrible situation for Sara, she enjoyed her alone time.  Being stuck in her house with her younger siblings had been stifling.  Now she had enough room to move around and do as she pleased.

It also gave her a lot of time to think.  She definitely needed all the time she could get.  Ever since they’d returned home from their pseudo-vacation, she’d been feeling under the weather.  Something told her it wasn’t related to her family problems.

She wasn’t quite sure how to bring up the possibility to Nathaniel, though.  They hadn’t really discussed children or even marriage, really, past the fact they weren’t ready.  Sara still didn’t want to jump into marriage, but she didn’t feel badly about the possibility of being pregnant, either.

Deciding to keep quiet until she was certain and had seen a doctor, she made sure to act normal and pretend nothing was amiss when she did see Nathaniel.

During one of Nathaniel’s week-long excursions out into the ocean, Sara visited a doctor.  She came home with the knowledge that she was nearly two months along.  It was frigid outside, so she called Lilith over instead of just walking down the street for a visit.  She was the first person Sara told.

“It isn’t that bad,” Lilith confessed, laughing.  “Though you won’t like it one bit, you’re a big wimp!”

“That’s not funny!” Sara frowned.  “I’m really worried–what if Nathaniel’s upset?”

Lilith made a face, “if he didn’t want to knock you up, he should’ve been more careful.  How are you feeling about it?”

“I… I don’t know yet.  I never really expected to be a mother.”

“Me either, but it grows on you; kinda like a fungus.”

Sara made sure to tell Nathaniel as soon as he returned.  At first, he was stunned.  He had thought they were doing their best to prevent any possibility, but it seemed it wasn’t so.  There had been a night or two where neither of them had been in a state to really make sure they used countermeasures, much less stand.

In the end, it wasn’t like it was the end of the world.  They had plenty of money and Sara wasn’t pushing marriage, so there wasn’t any real consequence.  Babies weren’t so bad and the thought of having someone to pass his knowledge and wealth onto appealed to Nathaniel.

What didn’t appeal to Nathaniel was the constant phone calls he was getting from Aiyana Saunders.  They had become casual friends during University, but recently, he had somehow become her defacto confidant.  At first, it wasn’t so bad, but then she started having kids and everything went to hell.  Now he had to sit and listen to her rattle on about stuff he scarcely understood.  Anytime he advised her to talk to Damien, she acted like Damien didn’t speak English.

Nathaniel sighed.  Lady issues were not something he excelled at.

One afternoon, he implored his very pregnant wife for help.  She was staying home from work now, the baby was only a month or two away.  There had been some slight complications, though, so the doctor advised a lot of bed rest.

“Can’t you talk to her?  She’s driving me crazy, Sara.”

At this, she laughed, “me?  No way.  But maybe I could get her together with Tracey–Gordon’s wife.  She’s new here too and doesn’t know many people.”

“Whatever, I don’t care, as long as she stops.” Nathaniel sighed, closing his eyes.  “I don’t have an effeminate bone in my body.  I am the last guy a girl should ever go to about… girly stuff.”

Sara laughed again, “I can’t argue with that kind of logic.  I’ll give Tracey a call… but you owe me.”

Sara eventually gave birth to a very purple baby boy named Patrick O`Hanlon.  He had his grandma’s red hair and the trademark green O`Hanlon eyes.  His skintone was particularly odd, though.  Lilith’s baby had come out completely normal, but Patrick definitely showed his alien heritage.  Nathaniel couldn’t have been happier–he just hoped he had the pointy ears, too.

Sara was just overjoyed that it was over.  The entire experience had been far more painful than any of Lilith’s horror stories.

Patrick had a lot of visitors during his first months, but no one so frequent as his own parents.  Sara and Nathaniel slipped easily into the role of parental figures, despite their lack of marital bonds.  The little tot was definitely loved and doted on as much as possible.  Mary warned Sara of spoiling him, but Sara paid her no mind.  He was a special little baby and he deserved to know it.

———

Note from Mao: I can’t believe it.  My FIRST baby to show the alien skin when one of the parents was the baby of an abduction.  Sure, I had an all alien hood, but they were alien/alien parents.  This is Sara O`Hanlon, who has a family tree firmly rooted in custom content, and then Nathaniel, with custom content as well.  Fantastic!

May 9, 2008

Anderson 2 – Round 13: ‘Polyamorous, Pt. 2′

Filed under: Anderson — Tags: , , , , , , , — Mao @ 10:32 am

Florence Anderson still hasn’t confronted Shaniqua Saunders about her infidelity.  She’s too busy worrying about her daughter, Kate, and her good-for-nothing fiance, Shang Yu.  Kate dropped out her senior year at B.S.U. when she got pregnant and Shang joined the house after he graduated.

Shang wasn’t thrilled at the idea of being stuck in a house with two old biddies and a very pregnant Kate.  He was quite open about it, too.  He expressed his desire to travel and be famous to Shaniqua, who was surprisingly receptive to the idea.

Florence shut him down quickly, though.  She was going to be the mother-in-law from hell.

“Travel? Don’t be stupid!” Florence growled, cornering the unsuspecting Shang.  “You’ve got a child to raise!”

Nathaniel, who had been visiting, witnessed the entire confrontation.  He wasn’t quite happy about what Shang had done to his little sister, but he didn’t envy anyone forced to take on his mother’s wrath, either.  Shaniqua remained quiet as well, knowing better than to step into the fray.

“You’ll learn a thing or two about being an irresponsible adult.” Florence finished, storming off.

Despite Florence saying otherwise, Shang wasn’t completely awful.  He was just promiscuous.  He made sure that Kate didn’t feel too badly about leaving University.

“I don’t care, Shang,” Kate smiled.  “I can still be a nurse.  I’ll just have to take some classes, that’s all.  Mom just makes a big deal out of everything.”

Despite being forced into fatherhood and servitude to a crazy mother-in-law, Shang didn’t give up his dreams of music and fame.  He practiced often and was even working as a roadie for a local band.  Soon he’d have to go out and travel.  He knew Florence wouldn’t be keen on the idea, but she’d deal.  He wasn’t about to give up his life’s ambition!  Kate likely wouldn’t be happy, either, but she’d be preoccupied with the baby when it came.

Kate gave birth to a single baby boy named Hugh.  He had all of Shang’s coloring, much to Florence’s chagrin.  Kate was over the moon and she coddled and cared for the infant constantly.  Shang had more than enough time on his hands with his wife-to-be distracted!

It helped that Florence wouldn’t let him near Hugh alone.  Anytime he had a random paternal instinct, Florence was there to sweep Hugh away.  He wasn’t going to complain.  It took the burden off of him and just made her look bad.  He wouldn’t have any issue traveling on the road now, and it was a good thing.  They didn’t just want him as a roadie, they needed a guitarist!

Kate barely noticed Shang’s absence.  She was too busy caring for Hugh.  He made everything all right and she quickly forgot about how easily Shang was swayed by the female gender.  She had even forgotten all about the lamp she had.  Hugh was her world now.

Of course, Florence was beginning to ask when they planned on getting married, as she wouldn’t let the baby be raised in a broken home.  Not a willingly broken one, that is.

When Shang was home, he took advantage of Katarina Anderson’s recent move to University.  They usually tried to meet up there, but sometimes she stopped by while she was visiting home.  Nathaniel caught them going at it on the sidewalk, for everyone to see!  He wasn’t pleased.

He broke them up and read Shang the riot act.  It was better than Florence or Kate finding out.  He warned Shang to watch his steps, he was treading on thin ice.  Florence wasn’t kidding when she said she’d make his life hell!

Hugh’s birthday came quickly and soon he was a capable toddler.  Kate was thrilled, now she could teach him things!  They were both completely oblivious to the fact that Shang was making regular visits to Katarina Anderson while also trying to wear down her mother, Alyssa.

——–

Note from Mao:  Shang will never change and it amuses me greatly.  Katarina strolled by the lot often, so it was only a matter of time before their side-project was rekindled!  I was greatly amused when Nathaniel was walking by and caught them.

April 28, 2008

Anderson 3 – Round 12: ‘Something Different, End’

Filed under: Anderson,O`Hanlon — Tags: , , , , , — Mao @ 4:40 pm

Nathaniel Anderson and Sara O`Hanlon are finally together, but have no plans to jump into marriage. Can Sara keep her head amidst all the chaos that’s come up in regards to her father, Derek O`Hanlon, and Janine Saunders?



Sara walked into the livingroom, grumbling loudly. She kicked off her heels and looked over at her boyfriend, who was typing hurriedly on the computer. A few minutes of silence passed between them until Sara sighed heavily and Nathaniel took that as his cue to say something.

“Everything okay?”

“No!” Sara huffed angrily. “Have you heard, about Derek? Can you believe that? And my mom! What is she thinking?!”

“C’mon, Sara, what do you expect? The evidence is there.”

“So you believe it?! My dad would never do that!”

Nathaniel sighed, pushing away from the computer, “I didn’t say he did, just that, well… your mom is the DA. She has to do her job.”

“That doesn’t mean she has to expect me to help her!” Sara cried out in frustration, balling her fists. She had been working at her mother’s old law firm and was on her way to a government position, but she wasn’t sure if she still wanted it. “He’s my father!“

“Stop thinking about it,” Nathaniel said, standing up and pulling her close. “There’s nothing you can do right now. If he’s innocent, then his lawyer will get him off, okay?”

Sara frowned, biting her lip, “it just… it sucks. I didn’t have my dad for half my life… now I have him and they want to take him away.”

“C’mon, babe, don’t depress yourself. It’ll be okay.”

After a weekend off, Sara was beginning to feel a little better. Nathaniel was busy with work, so she spent a lot of time at home by herself. When he finally got the day off to spend with her, he absently mentioned he would be leaving for a trip to the islands for a week or so to do some research on whales for his job.

“Without me? You’re going to leave me here while you go to the beach?!”

“It’s not a vacation,” Nathaniel explained carefully. “I’ll be busy all week.”

“So? At least I’ll be able to enjoy it! You weren’t even going to ask?”

“…Er, so you want to go, then? I’m serious, you’ll be alone in the hotel all day, Sara. I can’t be with you–I have to work.”

“I’m a big girl, Nathaniel.” She said, glaring. “I can take care of myself!”

Sara, determined to get away from all this propaganda involving her father, decided to phone work and tell them she was taking a week’s vacation. Sure, she hardly gave any notice, but who cared? She didn’t even really want to be in law, she only did it because he mother offered after she graduated. Sara wasn’t sure what she was passionate about yet, but it certainly wasn’t a law that pegged her father a murderer.

While Sara was on the phone, Tsung dropped by to visit with Nathaniel. He had come with a strange question for the other half of his alien wife.

“Are you kidding, Tsung? Seriously?” Nathaniel laughed. “‘Is Lilith really that strange?’ That’s a loaded question!”

“I’m serious, Nathaniel.” Tsung replied gravely. “She’s worrying me. She’s acting strange and building some… weird phone thing.”

“Oh come on, you knew she was crazy when you married her. It’ll pass. She’s a mom now, she’s got responsibility. Don’t worry too much about it, all right?”

“Can you at least tell Sara to talk to her?”

“I’ll try.”

April 22, 2008

Anderson 2 – Round 12: ‘Every Me, Every You, Pt. 5′

Filed under: Anderson — Tags: , , , , , , , , — Mao @ 5:38 pm

Florence Anderson and Shaniqua Saunders have been together since college. So far, Florence is unaware of Shaniqua’s infidelity. Will she find out or is she destined to remain oblivious?



Florence had a lot to say about Kate’s relationship with a certain Shang Yu. He was no good and he’d never be faithful. Kate was Florence’s heir, and as such, she expected her to find a respectable mate. Shang had no respect for anything and was just plain lazy. Little did Florence know that her own situation mirrored her daughter’s quite a bit.

It was unfortunate, but Florence’s hatred of Shang caused a rift between her and Kate.

Shaniqua, of course, was a bit more understanding. She had a guilty conscience, it wasn’t like she could talk Shang down. Instead, she simply reasoned with Kate. Florence was just still upset over the death of her mother. This was made worse by all the propaganda being spouted off about Janine being the true leader of the crime syndicate. While it was true that the activity had died down since Janine’s death, no one who knew Janine could believe it.

Gina stopped by often to visit her twin, having finished her novel. She was happy that the Dramatica series had come to an end, but it also left her feeling a little empty. Thankfully, her sister had more than enough drama to fill the hole.

“Look, Shaniqua, I won’t pretend to know your situation… but you can’t keep doing this.”

“I haven’t been seeing him as much,” Shaniqua protested. “In fact, I’m planning on ending it. She’ll never have to know.”

Gina shook her head, “you’re walking a dangerous path…”

The house was empty with all the children gone, so Florence and Shaniqua made an effort to have them over often. Their spouses usually tagged along, although Sara often stayed behind. She took over babysitting duty for Zhou, letting Lilith drag Tsung along to help her through her misery. She loved her family, but they asked way too many questions.

Shaniqua’s supposed ‘final goodbye’ to Ravi turned out to be more than she had anticipated. Florence came home from work early and caught them. Ravi excused himself and Shaniqua was left to deal with a very angry Florence. Surprisingly, she didn’t go off or shout. She simply gave Shaniqua a terrible look and walked out of the room.

Shaniqua would have preferred to be yelled at than ignored. Florence gave her the cold shoulder, ignoring her when she spoke. Eventually, she’d crack, but Shaniqua would likely go crazy with anticipation.

Alyssa dropped by during her lunch break to visit with her older sister. Their mother’s funeral had brought them together after having grown apart over the years. They were both sad over her death and extremely displeased with all the rumors flying around.

Florence had called Alyssa’s cell phone and told her what happened with Shaniqua, bringing her younger sister to her door, her breathing labored. She had not overemphasized her ‘rushing right over’.

“I’m sorry, Florence,” Alyssa said, pulling her older sister into a hug. “This is just a really awful time.”

“It’s probably worse for you,” Florence reasoned. “With the slander going around about mother and election time approaching…”

“Meh, let’s not talk about that. Dad grills me enough as it is.”

“Have you spoken to Ryu yet?”

“No,” Alyssa growled, her eyes narrowed. “He’ll be lucky if I ever talk to him again! How can he say those things about mother? She helped raise him!”

They took a seat at the table, Alyssa removing her coat and settling into the chair. She sighed heavily, looking forlorn. Florence didn’t have to ask why.

“He’s just doing his job, Alyssa.”

“How can you not be angry, too? Our mom wasn’t the best, but I won’t have all this crazy talk. Mom wouldn’t do that!”

Florence sighed, “I know, but maybe someone set her up?”

“Maybe,” Alyssa said, calming down. “I still can’t believe Ryu would do something so stupid. I hate him right now. I thought he loved me… but all he cares about is that stupid job of his. If he cared about me he wouldn’t say all those things about my–our–mom! It just makes me so angry!”

“Derek, too, did you hear? Things are going crazy, Alyssa. I don’t know what to think… both our lives feel like they’re falling apart at the seams…”

Alyssa frowned, “I wish I had signed a prenup like daddy advised. Now what am I going to do?”

———-

Note from Mao: And, as you can see, the crap is already hitting the fan! Wee! Things are getting interesting around here. This round was boring, though. I hate playing just elders!

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