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simtopi8: Family Ties
( This chapter is pretty long... lots of pics, about 120+ but not a whole lot of text, at least.)
Clara was not happy.
She had watched through the crystal as Wesley was able to deal with the witch Cordial, but he had failed to find the relic that was in her keeping.
Clara: You didn't find it. The Book I've asked you to retrieve.
Wesley slowly descended the stairs and looked at Clara with contempt. His voice was low as he spoke.
Wesley: She didn't have it. Apparently "the Heir" does.
The spell struck him before he realized it was cast, exploding at his chest and propelling him back.
Clara: I told you to bring me the book and instead you give me this bullshit about the Heir already having it?
Clara: You killed her too quick. A little more suffering and she would have tattled, even a witch like her. If the Heir already had the book then I would have.. should have known!
Wesley: I swear if you do anything like that again, I will kill you.
Nothing was more dangerous than an enraged vampire. Clara couldn't help but flinch, but she regained her composure quickly.
Clara: Oh get over yourself. You can't kill me even if you wanted to. Our pact forbids it.
Clara: In any case, I'm sorry. I was a little angry. But we'll get past this little obstacle. I've been sitting on my ass about this too long.
Wesley: I suppose you now need me to find this Heir?
Clara: If she has the Book... if she does... she'll be a little more difficult to handle. But we don't have to find her Wesley. I already know where she is, they didn't keep that secret very well.
Wesley: And if there are others protecting her?
Clara: Don't worry about it, sweetie. Kimberly might have been the only one. Too bad for her... she had no clue what she was up against.
4 AM.
It was way too late to be up, dressed and across town from home. Unfortunately for Detective Luis Duarte, duty calls.
Officer Kauker: Evenin' Detective.
Luis: So what's the story here.
Officer Kauker: The neighbours called in a complaint about loud noises. The door was open when we went in to investigate and that's when we found her.
Luis: Is anyone talking to them.. the neighbours that is?
Officer Kauker: We're taking their statements right now. Detective Gavigan is already in there. Unit 3.
Possibilities ran through Luis' mind. The place was nice, a gated condominium harbouring young, urban professional community. A number of things could have gone wrong ranging from accidental to the more obscene.
The Ramaswamis looked scared, as they should be. They were the ones who called the police about the noise. They were the ones who possibly had to sit in their home and listen as their neighbour died.
He walked into the condo. The place was dark and decorated decently, typical of a young single female, who was now sprawled lifeless behind the dining room table. He didn't see Detective Gavigan until he rounded the corner towards the kitchen area.
Luis: Oh lord...
Mary: Luis, meet Miss Kimberly Cordial. The neighbours say she moved here from Belladonna Cove over twelve years ago. She was working as a child psychologist.
Mary: No forced entry, no sign of guests. No immediate signs of trauma. No bruises. No blood. The door was unlocked but that's not abnormal in a place like this. She probably met her maker only a few hours ago.
Luis: And we're treating it as a homicide?
Mary: Too early to tell. She could have just had a heart attack for all I know. But the Ramaswami's reported loud crashing noises and the place has been ransacked. Someone was looking for something here. And I don't know about you, there's no way she could have smashed that piano into the wall like that on her own.
Luis: I was hoping you'd tell me there was irrefutable proof that she did die of a heart attack or an obvious accident.
Mary: Was there somewhere you needed to be?
Luis: As a matter of fact, I was hoping to be up in a few hours to get to my son's soccer game at Sim State.
Mary: Well, we'll have to wait for coroner's report for that proof. In the meantime, because of the circumstances involved, it's a suspicious death. What have you got there?
Luis looked down at the picture, then back to his partner. "Next of kin", he said simply.
Sim State U, Tellerman Memorial Field.
Adrian watched the ball soar deftly past the Acadamie Le Tour's goaltender and into the net. The score went up to tie the match and nothing at this moment felt better but he tried to keep a serious composure. The game wasn't over yet.
Jasmine: woooooooot, tie game! Way to go, Duarte!
Willow: Are we winning?
Jasmine: Haven't you been paying attention? Game is tied.
Willow: That's good, isn't it?
Jasmine: Oh come on, you're not that dense. What are you doing studying anyway? You're supposed to be here to support the team?
Willow: Sorry... I just had a lot to do and I couldn't really concentrate at the dorm.
Jasmine: And you can here? At a soccer game? If you didn't want to be here, Willow, you didn't have to come.
Willow: Well...
How could she tell Jasmine that the only reason she agreed to watch the game was because she was avoiding Gabriel. She wasn't sure she was able to face him after what had happened the night before. When she woke this morning, all she thought about was that kiss. It was just one simple kiss. She didn't know whether to feel flattered, ecstatic or embarassed. Even a little regretful. The whole thing was just confusing and she wasn't sure how to deal with it.
When Jasmine called, Willow quickly agreed to go to the game with her. She would have gone anywhere at that point if it just meant getting out of the dorm before Gabriel woke up.
Jasmine: Adrian's a really good forward. I'd be shocked if he doesn't become a hall of famer in a few years.
Jasmine: You hear that, Duarte! Hall of fame! Dooooooo it!
Adrian heard Jasmine's cheers and waved back. He was pleasantly surprised to have seen Willow up there as well. He knew she wasn't a big fan of sports, but a small part of him pushed himself a little more in this game hoping that she'd be impressed.
Jasmine: He looks really good.. in that kit, I mean. He's an awesome player.
Willow: I wouldn't know. But you're right, he's amazing.
Adrian played offensively, taking the ball when he could. His teammates were quick to pass to him, as he easily seemed to cover the distance between him and their opponent's goal.
The other team knew this too.
Jasmine: What the hell, that's bullshit!
Willow: That really looked like it hurt!
Willow watched from the bleachers as Adrian got to his feet, walked over and shoved the other player back.
She couldn't hear what they were saying, but she could clearly see that Adrian was furious. She couldn't help feel a slight bit of anger too when she saw the other team's player ram into Adrian, knocking him down.
Willow: I hope Adrian is okay.
Jasmine: He'll be fine. Now you see why this is exciting?
Willow: Yeah, a little too exciting. Um, I need to use the lady's room. I'll be back in a minute.
Rowan: Well, well, well...
Willow: Rowan?
Rowan: I'm a little surprised, Willow. Seriously, cheating?
Willow: I wasn't cheating!
Rowan: I just saw you trip that dude up with your spell. Smells like cheating to me. You don't think your pretty boy there could have handled that play himself?
Willow: It was just a little spell. Besides, that guy was being a jerk.
Rowan: Because he pulled a foul on your boyfriend? No use getting butthurt about it, it happens every game, Willow.
Willow: First of all, he's not my boyfriend. Second of all I don't believe you of all people are trying to give me lessons on morals.
Rowan: Hey, I don't care. Freaking zap 'em up all you want and turn them into an army of superballers. It's not any different than feeding them steroids or smashing the other team's kneecaps with 2 by 4s. I didn't think you were the type to do it, is all.
Rowan: And if you're trying to be discreet, maybe you shouldn't be casting spells in broad daylight at a soccer field during a game? You're lucky I was the only one that caught you.
Willow: Well, you're the only one that cares enough to pay attention to me.
Rowan: Listen, I'm not trying to make you feel bad. I figured you'd be using your powers to save kittens and babies or shit like that. Not fix college soccer matches.
Rowan: It doesn't even look like they needed your help anyway. But Le Tour probably deserves what they get; they are a bunch of smug, stuck up assholes. Then again, I can say the same about this place. Heads up..!
Willow gasped as the ball flew past her head. Rowan caught it without blinking.
Adrian: Nice catch! You okay Willow?
Rowan: You meatheads, the fucking goal is that way. If you wanted to nail my sister, you could have at least bought her dinner first.
Adrian: Sorry about that. Just throw it back.
Adrian: Not bad, Rowan. You should try out.
Rowan: Fuck that. I've got better things to do than run around here and kick balls all day.
Willow: What are you doing here anyway?
Rowan: Someone at your dorm told me you might be here. Mom's been trying to get in touch with you all morning so she called me. She says it's important.
Willow: Why did she call?
Rowan: Hell if I know. She won't tell me what it is so maybe it's not that bad.
Angelo: Is the game over, Mama?
Angeline: Yes it is, hon. Looks like Adrian's team won! Let's go say hi, okay?
Angelo: You think Sim State will make it to the playoffs?
Angeline: If your brother is playing, I will guarantee it.
Jasmine: That was an awesome match, dude. You played great out there!
Adrian: Hey thanks.
Adrian: It always help when you got your own personal cheering squad. Speaking of which, what happened to Willow?
Jasmine: She took off with Rowan. No clue where.
Angelo: Adrian!!!
Angelo: We saw the game. That last score was awesome 'specially the way that guy totally face planted.
Adrian: Yeah I felt bad about that.
Angeline: Don't feel bad. You were no where close to him. He tripped and he deserved it for running into you like that.
Adrian: So where's Dad?
Angeline: Unfortunately your father had to work. He's on a new case but he told me to tell you that he's sorry he couldn't make it.
Adrian: Well, there's always the next game.
Adrian: Mom, this is my friend Jasmine.
Angeline: Oh this is Jasmine. Adrian has told me a lot about you. I am Angeline.
Jasmine: It's nice to meet you Mrs. Duarte. Adrian tells me a lot about you, too.
Angeline: Oh please, call me Angeline. "Mrs" sounds so formal.
Angeline: It's nice to be able to finally meet Adrian's girlfriend.
Jasmine: Oh... I'm not his girlfriend.
She could feel her cheeks burn red. Adrian looked over from where he was playing with his brother and grinned.
Angeline: Well you're so pretty, you should be. Adrian, are you listening?
Adrian: I hear you, Mom.
He rolled his eyes at Jasmine.
Adrian: Sorry about my mother. She thinks pretty much every girl I talk to is a "girlfriend".
Jasmine: It's cool, Adrian. It was kinda sweet of her.
Adrian: Well we're heading back to the dorm. Mom's making lunch, you in?
Jasmine: Home cooked meal that isn't mac and cheese? How can I resist.
Angeline: Come along, Jasmine. I'll teach you how to flambe a Crepe Suzette without killing yourself.
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Willow called her mother as soon as she got back to the dorm. She stood there stunned and silent as Elf told what she had heard on the news earlier. Miss Cordial was dead.
Suspicious? Willow thought, still stunned.
Slowly, she hung up the phone. Her mind was a blur of unsorted thoughts with one prevailing: Miss Cordial was dead.
She wanted to run off but as she left the kitchen, she stopped when she saw Gabriel standing there. She wasn't sure how long he had been there or if he had heard her conversation with her mother... not that she had said much.
Gabriel: Are you okay Willow?
Gabriel: Listen, I get the feeling you've been trying to avoid me all day. If it's about last night, I'm sorry about all that...
Last night? Last night, Willow felt something was wrong and she didn't say or do anything about it. At this moment, she didn't feel brave enough to handle it all. Before he could say anything else, she broke down in tears. Rather than face him while crying, she ran upstairs.
Gabriel: Willow? What did I say...?
He called out after her, but he just stood at the bottom of the stairs dumbfounded. Willow didn't want to think of him right now. All she could think of was Miss Cordial.
"You're a very special young lady, Willow. I know you'll go far, and I'll be here to help you every step of the way."
Willow remembered those words amongst other bits of sage wisdom the older woman had given her. She had always wanted Miss Cordial to be proud of her. Only she understood and accepted Willow for who she was... and what she was.
Miss Cordial, after all, had taught her everything she knew about magic. And now Willow had no one to learn from.
Mary: You're working a little late aren't you?
Luis: Just waiting for some information to come in. Try as I might, I can't seem to find anything on Cordial's relatives. I still have idea who that other woman in that picture is. And what's even weirder is that there's no where here or at Belladonna Cove to say that she's registered as a psychologist. Never mind the fact she seems to have only one client and that client's name isn't even listed anywhere in her records.
Mary: I guess we're no where near a motive?
Luis: A motive would suggest that she's been murdered, Mary. Still waiting on the autopsy, but Initial reports are pretty inconclusive. Nothing.. not even a mark.
Mary: Doesn't this all remind you of another case, Luis?
Luis: You're talking about Yolanda Bedford, aren't you? That case was solved.
Mary: You think so, huh?
Mary: Anyway, it's late, and I have a hot date with my husband. We can deal with this all tomorrow.
Luis: I'll head out soon too. I'm just finishing up...
They were interrupted by a loud crash coming from the Sergeant's office. It sounded like he had just thrown something against the wall.
Mary: There's an awful lot of yelling going on in there. Is he on the phone?
Luis: Yeah it's been going on for a bit. I wonder how bad it is.
Mary: I have a feeling we're going to hear about it soon enough.
Sergeant Arnie Jaspers stormed out of his office, his usually calm face betraying exactly how furious he was.
Jaspers: Gavigan. Duarte. Both of you get in here.
Mary: What's going on?
Jaspers: You're off the Cordial case.
Luis: What?!
Jaspers: Orders from on high. Those fucking bastards did it to me again. Case is closed and Cordial's death has been officially ruled a suicide.
Luis: A suicide? Did the autopsy find anything?
Jaspers: We're not supposed to ask any more questions about it. This whole thing is bullshit, I tell you.
Mary: So that's it? We're leaving it?
Luis: What else are we supposed to do? Our hands are tied, yet again.
Mary: There's a potential murder here and we're doing absolutely nothing. Aren't we supposed serve and protect?
Luis: Listen, you were the one who wanted to get home to your husband.
Luis: Me, I've got family too. Frankly, if it was a suicide, it makes me feel a lot better somehow.
Mary: But you know it might not have been.
Luis: I'll see you tomorrow, Mary. Say hello to Nathan for me.
Garret: So what in sam hell are these executive orders I supposedly signed off on. Is this crap even legit?
Walter: You'll see it's all there, Mayor Baird. The organization has been working under our government for years.
Garret: And no one's thought to tell me about it?
Garret: I've been the mayor of this city for more than twenty years, Walter. You'd think someone would have briefed me on this in all that time?
Walter: Sorry, Mr. Mayor, it was only called to my attention this morning.
Garret: This morning. And they found the woman's body just last night.
Walter: That's correct, sir.
Garret: And you're telling me that this organization.. what did you call it...
Walter: The Circle, sir.
Garret: You're telling me that this "Circle" has the jurisdiction to take over the investigation of the death of one of my citizens?
Walter: Under this office's authorization, sir.
Garret: Circle my ass.
Garret: Pardon my Simlish, Walter, but you've gotta be shitting me. I've been campaigning against this kind of hippy deviant crap all my career and you're telling me we've got people up to here in it working under my government?
Garret: If I had known you were going to tell me that the people who were going to take over this investigation was a bunch of whacked out psycho loonies involved in occultism, I would have shoved those executive orders up someone's ass. I'm rescinding those orders and giving authority back to the police force where it belongs.
Walter: Uh, sir, I wouldn't be so hasty about that. The Circle has apparently been very effective in what they've been doing for us all this time.
Garret: All this time...? According to who? Wait a minute. You are shitting me. This is some kind of retirement joke, ain't it.
Walter: Maybe you'd better meet our liaison, Mr. Mayor.
Walter: She's waiting for you in your office.
Garret: Unless she's flipping around on a broomstick in there, I doubt she's gonna change my mind about...
Garret: ...
Garret Baird stopped in his tracks, his jaw practically slackened. He had seen pretty much everything he could see in his time in office, but he'd never seen anything like this before.
"I'm sorry, I left my broom at home tonight. I hope you're not too disappointed. It' s still an honour to meet you Mayor Baird."
Garret: I... I uh... I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. Forgive me, I didn't catch your name Miss...
"Miss Cordial."
" Samantha Cordial, but please, call me Sam."
next » [ chapter 9: flashback ]
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A few notes:
- this chapter was actually pretty brutal for me to write. It's one of those transitionary chapters where not a lot happens but it sort of sets stuff up for later on down the line. Please, critique honestly if something seems out of place.
- I was soooo excited to be able to write Luis Duarte and Garret Baird. Garret of course is the Baird founder, but I never really got a chance to write his personality. And Luis, who was an old Sim of mine that I made for Uni, was part an excuse to play with my Law & Order fangirlism, and along with Angeline was also an excuse to show off where Adrian gets his yummy genes from.
- the way I planned for Garret and Walter's 'scene' started off completely different. It changed when Garret started walking down the hall reading the book, so I actually set that dialogue up around that. I have never noticed that animation before in my game, honestly.
- The soccer players were all made with Spookymuffin's default face templates which I've recently added to my game.
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Date: 2009-08-07 08:51 am (UTC)Can't wait to see and read more!
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Date: 2009-08-08 11:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-07 04:27 pm (UTC)I'm so amazed that Willow is such a hot item! lol. Adrian wants her, Gabriel wants her, lol, and she has no idea. Well, I suppose she knows with Gabriel a bit, he did kiss her.
Also, I'm confused about the...good vs bad...sides thing now. I assumed Miss Cordial was good, but she had a green aura, and now her sister has a blue aura, but works with the Circle, who Clara is part of - who has a green aura - and they want to take things from Willow, who has a blue aura...lol. I can't wait to read more so I can put some more pieces in to my puzzle, lol :D
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Date: 2009-08-08 11:16 am (UTC)Yep, Willow is a little clueless about the boys who like her. ;)
As for the witches, the only thing I will say is that Clara is not a part of the Circle. Everything else will be revealed in time!
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Date: 2009-08-08 02:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-08 11:26 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-08 02:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-07 06:31 pm (UTC)I.. have so many things to say while reading the chapter, but as I'm typing now, I can't remember them all. :(
I was rather surprised myself that Willow used her magic to trip that jerk. And I'm surprised Rowan said that too, how... accurate of him.
And I'm kinda glad that Wesley and Clara didn't exactly have a pleasant working relationship. I'm hoping they fall out with each other soon, whatever the pact was. :)
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Date: 2009-08-08 11:19 am (UTC)Rowan really does care about his sister. He may not be the most shining member of the community but he does think Willow should be better than him. :)
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Date: 2009-08-08 12:29 pm (UTC)I've been thinking this since the first time we saw him, but Adrian looks so young compared to the rest of the uni kids! I'd think he was still in high school, honestly. Nothing wrong with baby-faces, of course, it's probably what reels in the girls, eh? XD
I feel ya on those transitory chapters, but I didn't feel anything awkward about this chapter either. Then again, since I don't know what happens later, I wouldn't be able to tell what in here is meant to play a role later and what is just filler, yanno? Anyway, your dialogue is so natural and lively that it makes the whole thing flow effortlessly. My two cents :)
Looking forward to the next chapter!
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Date: 2009-08-09 02:06 am (UTC)I appreciate what you commented about the dialogue. I've intentionally made it that dialogue and pictures would tell most of the story so it's important to me that all of that works as well as it could. :)
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Date: 2009-08-09 04:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-09 02:06 pm (UTC)Anyway, I hope you read this again when you can see all the pics. Like they say on the internet, this story is worthless without them.
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Date: 2009-08-10 05:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-09 05:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-09 02:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-09 03:29 pm (UTC)no subject
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