Chapter 36
Dec. 27th, 2010 10:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
simtopiChapter 36: Comfort
Warnings: swearing, adult situations
Cecilia had one secret that she would never share with anyone. Very few people know of it and even then, not to it's full extent.
Cecilia loved to eat.
She'd have ridiculous cravings for junk food especially. It was probably a trait she picked up from her Grandmother and it gave her comfort when not a lot else could. She knew she had to work a little harder to stay thin, but even that was not a big problem for her.
Pigging out wasn't exactly one of the more respected hobbies of a sorority sister, but no one was around right now. Cecilia didn't mind indulging while she had privacy.
At least the little bit of privacy she had.
"That stuff will get you fat."
Cecilia: And?
"You're Tri-Var. We have an image to keep up."
Cecilia: Well, Brittany, I'd rather be fat than dead. At least I can lose weight.
Cecilia: Ideally I won't have to lose as much as you did.
Living with the ghost had taken its toll on Cecilia. But as much as she hated to, she had to get used to it. The ghost of Brittany Upsnott didn't look like it was leaving anytime soon. After what happened at the Landgrabb Mansion, the ghost didn't seem so angry and loud, at least. It still appeared once in a while, but it seemed listless and morose. Cecilia tried not to care.
She raced upstairs to her room when she heard her cellphone ringing. It wasn't that late, but she wasn't expecting any phone calls.
"Cecilia Baird?"
Cecilia: Hi, that's me.
"Oh good... I'm sorry to call you so late, but if I didn't now, I probably wouldn't get to it until much later. This is Tiffany Samson. I'm the Campaign Manager for Heather Huffington."
It took a minute to recall who Heather Huffington was.
She was currently the only Mayoral candidate running to replace her Grandfather when he retired. Cecilia remembered watching her campaign announcement only a little while ago. And she was in a lot of the pictures in that photo album of Brittany's.
Tiffany: You called us last week, and I'm really sorry we didn't get back to you sooner. You should have mentioned you were Mayor Baird's granddaughter.
Cecilia: Oh... I wasn't calling on his behalf or anything like that.
Tiffany: Still, you probably would have gotten a quicker a response.
Cecilia: Do you intend to keep all your potential constituents waiting weeks to hear back from your office? Or are prompt responses going to be a VIP-only service?
Cecilia listened as the voice on the other end gave a tired sigh.
Tiffany: Well I apologize. You can imagine how busy it's been here since we've announced our campaign. Listen, Ms. Huffington would very much love to make an appointment to speak to you. Can you tell me what this might be about?
Cecilia: We... we have a mutual friend in common, I guess.
Tiffany: I didn't catch that... there's a lot of static on the line suddenly.
Cecilia: Sorry about that. My cellphone's just acting up.
Tiffany: How does tomorrow night sound? It's a little short notice...
Cecilia: Fine. That sounds fine.
Cecilia smiled as the ghost glowered silently in the corner.
Cecilia: Oh come on, you should be happy... Heather's your old friend, right? Maybe now someone could finally tell me how you died and how I can get rid of you.
Tiffany: Come in.
Assistant: Ms. Samson? You're still here?
Tiffany: Someone has to finish up all this paperwork. That's why they pay me the "big bucks". Get good grades, don't cause trouble, graduate Summa Cum Laude and one day you too can have all of this. What can I help you with?
Assistant: Um... What do you need me to do with that shipment of promotional t-shirts and flyers?
Tiffany: You could put them in the dumpster out back with the rest of Heather's garbage.
Assistant: I'm sorry, I missed that...
Tiffany: Just leave them in the campaign room for now. I appreciate you staying late, but we'll sort them out in the morning.
It was nice and warm in Adrian's room. Willow had almost gotten used to how cold and drafty her new home was, that she'd nearly forgotten what it was like to have modern comforts.
There was a little bit of clutter here and there but for the most part his room was fairly organized. He had plenty of his family pictures up all over the place, along with books, sports equipment and other stuff. Everything was so typically him. Willow never really had any occasion to be up here before. She felt a little strange about it now.
But she couldn't deny that it felt nice.
Adrian: Are you doing okay?
Willow: It was just a little warm in here. Well, warmer than what I'm used to.
Adrian: Jasmine told me you're staying out in a house in the woods? Was that where you were this whole time?
Willow: I kind of inherited it, I guess.
Adrian: Sounds like you've got a lot of explaining to do.
Willow: Adrian, I really appreciate you letting me stay, but...
Adrian: It's okay, you don't have to worry about anything now. Just relax.
Adrian: We've all been through a lot. I'm not even quite sure what all of it means. I don't want to avoid talking about it... I figure for at least a little while we can pretend to be normal.
Willow: You make it sound simple.
Adrian: Well shouldn't it be?
She smiled. She had been frightened when she first saw him out on the streets, but she didn't want to tell him why. The last thing she needed him to do was run off after whoever that witch was. She didn't need anyone else to get hurt because of her. He had already put himself in enough danger.
Willow: I guess we can talk about other things then.
Adrian: Sure, we can do that. What do normal people talk about?
Willow: Well... I guess I never saw your tattoo before. It's pretty neat.
He looked down at his arm and chuckled.
Adrian: Oh this. Yeah, while I was down in LFT, a bunch of the teammates got inked. Figure I'd succumb to peer pressure just once.
Willow: Do you regret it?
Adrian: Naw. I like it.
Willow: You know that in a lot of stories, dragons are dangerous fire-breathing creatures.
Adrian: What, do you think I'm dangerous then?
She laughed awkwardly.
Willow: No. I guess in some stories they can be guardians of powerful sorcerors... stuff like that.
Adrian: That's a little better. Though for some cultures they represent strength and wisdom. I think I prefer that.
Willow: Strength and wisdom. I could use some of that right now.
Adrian: Willow, you're the smartest person I know.
Willow: It's not really the same thing, is it?
Adrian: I guess you're right. We're never the people we want to be when we need to.
Willow: You have enough of it for the both of us, though. Strength and wisdom...
Adrian: Not really. But thanks.
Adrian: Nearly killed myself thinking I was trying to save your life... not too smart.
Willow: Don't be so hard on yourself. You did what you thought was right. I wish I was there that night. I didn't want anyone to risk themselves. Those undead creatures were there because of me.
Adrian: Everyone keeps saying that but no one thinks it's your fault, Willow. I definitely don't.
Willow: You don't think I'm dangerous?
Adrian: In all the years I've known you, that's never crossed my mind. You don't have to tell me anything right now if you don't want to. I just wanted to make sure you were safe. I'm glad you are.
And what about Jasmine? she wanted to ask him. Do you feel just as strongly about keeping her safe?
Willow: I'll be okay.
Adrian: I know you will. You probably don't need me to take care of you anyway. You've got a lot of people on your team. Rowan, Jasmine... Gabriel.
She hadn't forgotten about Gabriel, but hearing Adrian say his name tensed something up inside of her. He noticed it too. She couldn't say anything for what seemed like a long time.
Adrian: What's wrong?
Willow: Gabriel. I saw him today... he's upset with me. Just another part of this whole mess that I'm in. I guess I don't really blame him.
Adrian: You care about him a lot.
She looked up at him, again unable to think of what to tell him. Her voice was low and almost a whisper when she finally answered him. She didn't know why she felt so guilty.
Willow: I do.
Adrian: Then you'll find a way to work things out with him.
Willow: And... and what if I just can't?
What would you do, Adrian?
Adrian: Whatever is going on right now is bigger than all of us. He's going to need to understand that. He'd be an idiot to just give up on you.
He got up, leaned over and kissed her gently on the top of her head.
Adrian: I'll be downstairs if you need me.
She knew he left because he really didn't want to talk about her and Gabriel. Willow wasn't really sure why she brought him up. She liked having Adrian close by. She knew she liked it too much.
She fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.
Jasmine was not having the best of nights.
The couch was tiny and not very comfortable. She was already having a difficult time as it was.
It did not help that Gabriel's snoring kept waking her up.
Jasmine: Gabriel. Gabriel! For crying out loud will you shut up?!
He only mumbled incoherently in reply, but the snoring started up again. She briefly debating throwing something at him.
Jasmine: Gabe please, I'm hung over, I don't need this.
Begging wasn't helping.
The couch was awful anyway. And her dorm wasn't too far off. Reluctantly, she resigned herself to heading home.
She didn't make a sound as she sat up and slipped out of bed.
"I'll be downstairs if you need me." he had told her.
He was sleeping just as soundly as she had been.
Carefully, she sat down beside him.
He woke with a start, saying her name out loud. He was sleepy but surprised to see her there.
She said nothing, but pulled him closer to her instead. He didn't push her away. He didn't resist.
And nothing mattered when she finally kissed him.
She moaned against him as his arms wrapped around her. He knew this wasn't right. She was soft and warm and she wanted him. It was impossible for him to stop himself.
Suddenly the warmth seemed to drain completely from her. Her skin began to feel cold.
When he opened his eyes, it wasn't Willow looking back at him.
Adrian: Willow...?!
She woke up suddenly to the sound of her name being called. But she wasn't sure if that was in the dream or in the waking world.
She was confused. All those emotions and every physical sensation in her dream seemed so real. She couldn't forget the warmth of his body, the feel of his skin and how he kissed her. But she didn't understand what happened.
As consciousness started to fully take over, her stomach began to feel sick. The dream was still vivid in her mind, and she had to force herself to remember that it wasn't real. It was just a dream.
What's wrong with me?
She couldn't stay here. She had to go.
Jasmine: Willow, huh?
Adrian: What the fuck?! Jasmine what are you doing?
Jasmine: You looked cold, I was just trying to fix your sheets. I'm not even going to bother asking why you're sleeping on the couch.
Adrian: Dammit... look I'm sorry, I just had a crazy dream...
Jasmine: I bet you did. Well, excuse me for interrupting, I'll let you and Willow get on with it then.
Adrian: It's not like that.
Jasmine: Fuck it Adrian. I really, really don't want to know.
Adrian collapsed back onto the couch, frustrated.
What the hell is wrong with me?
Willow didn't sleep the rest of the night. She was almost afraid to.
She sat up in the house's secret room doing what usually would comfort her at times like these. Books always seemed to have all the answers she needed. At least it could get her mind off of her problems.
In this case, it wasn't working.
She walked down to the cellar of the old house. She still kept it empty, except for her Mirror.
She wanted the Mirror to tell her something. She needed for everything to make more sense. She wanted things to stay sane and normal.
She needed Gabriel.
She didn't know if he was thinking about her the same way she was thinking of him. She could only hope that he missed her too. He was always cheerful and bright, but seeing him now, he just looked lonely.
"I'm so sorry." she whispered.
It was all she could tell herself at this moment. She didn't want to lose him.
Adrian: Are we ever going to talk about it?
She pulled herself out of her seat and began to walk away.
Jasmine: Nope.
She looked down at her grandfather's truck. She had just wandered out here without a real purpose. Her classes didn't start until later and there was really nowhere she needed to be.
She just really wanted to stop feeling confused all the time. Just run back and talk to Adrian and keep her stupid pride from getting in the way.
But the last thing she wanted was to be second best to the one he couldn't have.
"That doesn't look like a very comfortable place to hang out."
She nearly shrieked aloud, looking up in surprise.
Jasmine: What the...? Fuck, it's you.
Samantha: I'm getting that reaction a lot. Not sure how I feel about that.
Jasmine: How about you try not freaking people out whenever you show up. What do you want?
Samantha: What we've discussed before, Miss Baird.
Samantha: I want Willow. Can you help me out with this or not?
next » [ Chapter 37: Face To Face ]
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Notes:
* for a small refresher, read the end of Chapter 23 (Cecilia's part)
* I feel like I've been trying to sort this chapter out for weeks. I've taken way more screenshots than I needed to of scenes that didn't even make it in here. Happy to say this is one of the occasions where I think writing it out actually saved the chapter for me. ;)
* getting all the Sims to interact for some of these scenes was frustrating, but hilarious at the same time. I had to fix certain relationships and without any anti-jealousy mods, let's just say that there was a lot of slapping. LOL.
* I opened up the Tri-Var mansion and found Cecilia in the kitchen stuffing her face, which totally inspired the opening scene. It was Cecilia, and I couldn't stop laughing. Maybe I'm the only one who finds that hilarious.
* thank you for reading and I hope everyone's having a great Holiday!
Here, have an outtake. (Jasmine just trying to get up to her room) :D
"Who the fuck put all this crap here?!"
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Date: 2010-12-28 04:06 am (UTC)Ooh, I never knew adrian had a tattoo! 8D That, um, made me like him just a little bit more, hehe.
I was going "OMG NOOOOO!!" when Willow and him started kissing and then jumped in my seat when I saw her skin colour changed. It seems that Willow and Adrian really did something, yet it wasn't something they controlled. It's a good thing she teleported out of Adrian's house though, or things will get really awkward between her and Jasmine. I wonder what will happen to their friendship. I hope Jasmine understands and stands by Willow's side no matter what, because I have a feeling Willow is going to get lonelier... :S
My heart breaks for Gabriel, but I'm beginning to realise that maybe we need to give Willow time to figure herself out first before she gets closer to any of the two guys. :( Or she'll end up hurting them both and herself too. And her heart definitely isn't helping. :\
"But the last thing she wanted was to be second best to the one he couldn't have."
Jasmine too. You go, girl! Keep your pride, never throw yourself away!
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Date: 2010-12-28 05:11 am (UTC)Adrian's tattoo.. i haven't really showed it off in the story, but I do once in a while in pic spams. ;) I like those on him too.
I guess if the two of them dream the same thing then technically they did it together right? That's an interesting way of looking at it, and you're probably right. I guess it doesn't matter if it was done in real life or just in her mind, but Willow does feel guilty about it. We'll see if her friendship with Jasmine will hold. So far it's been really resilient.
You're also probably right about Willow, Gabriel and Adrian. Willow could probably benefit from being on her own, but we'll see what happens. :)
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Date: 2010-12-28 04:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-12-28 05:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-12-28 06:45 am (UTC)And I jumped during that dream sequence thing, I thought it was really happening and I literally did a double take when I saw her hair change colour.
And poor, poor Gabriel. GAH. I just want him to be happy *is irrationally attached to him*
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Date: 2010-12-28 05:25 pm (UTC)Ah dream sequences, I love them but hate doing them at the same time. But this one was kind of necessary to move the story along.
I won't say much for now about where all that is going, but thank you for commenting. :)
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Date: 2010-12-28 07:51 am (UTC)This Adrian-Willow-Jasmine thing better go down soon! I can't live with this uncertainty! I don't know for sure, but it looks like Jasmine has the chance to get rid of Willow here. I do hope she doesn't betray her. But then again I don't even know what exactly Samantha wants.
I want more! :D
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Date: 2010-12-28 05:27 pm (UTC)Adrian, Willow and Jasmine probably won't resolve anytime soon, but hopefully I can at least keep it entertaining. Jasmine really wouldn't want to get rid of Willow, she has no idea at this point to what extent she's involved with Adrian. And it doesn't solve her problem of not wanting to be Adrian's second choice anyway. We'll see what Samantha wants soon. :)
Thank you!
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Date: 2010-12-28 08:04 am (UTC)Poor Gabriel, I feel so sorry for him. He wants to help Willow, be there for her, and just can't understand what's going on. She misses him too, that much is clear, but I can see why she thinks it's best to keep her distance until she understands more about what is going on with herself.
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Date: 2010-12-28 05:32 pm (UTC)And I actually do feel bad for Gabriel and Willow. I was actually playing them as Sims on a date at a community lot I was testing out and they were so adorable together, it was easy to see why everyone ships them. *sigh* the dillemmas of a storyteller... ;)
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Date: 2010-12-28 05:34 pm (UTC)What is with that dream indeed. Pretty intense for the both of them, but for Willow especially.
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Date: 2010-12-28 10:04 am (UTC)and your posing are SO GOOD, it looks so natural and real!
Thank you for brighten my morning!
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Date: 2010-12-28 05:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-12-28 11:04 pm (UTC)Cecilia as a closet junk food lover just seems to make sense to me! I love those sorts of details and it's even more amusing that it came from game play!
So Willow and Adrian are sharing dreams now? My first thought was to wonder if the dream was sort of implanted in their heads by someone who might want to come between Willow and Gabriel. Or maybe I should stop watching Inception!
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Date: 2010-12-29 03:53 pm (UTC)LOL Inception... I haven't decided if I like that movie or not. The dream was probably an extension of Willow's subconciousness, all though she hasn't been feeling herself lately. ;)
Thank you very much for the comment. :)
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Date: 2010-12-28 11:22 pm (UTC)It feels good to see Cecilia stuffing her face. It's such an endearing habit, and she could use some more endearing qualities.
Poor, confused Adrian! I feel kinda bad for him in all this (and Gabriel too). Willow seems torn between the comfort and familiarity that Gabriel seems to represent and all the possibilities that were never realized between her and Adrian. I'm rooting for Adrian to get tired of it and to start seeing Jasmine's awesomeness.
Wonderful update, and I agree with the others about your perfect posing! I'll eagerly await the next.
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Date: 2010-12-29 03:56 pm (UTC)I think you might have been the first person to mention that you feel bad for Adrian. <3 He is just as blameless as Gabe is in all of this. We could never help our feelings but sometimes they can be used against us. I really like your observation about Willow and her dillemma.
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Date: 2010-12-29 01:03 am (UTC)Plus I adore your shots. I could read this for the visual pleasure alone. I'm glad I don't have to but I could.
and I really sympathize with Jasmine.
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Date: 2010-12-29 03:59 pm (UTC)Jasmine is a strong girl, I have a feeling she'll make it okay with or without Adrian. ;)
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Date: 2010-12-29 02:23 am (UTC)This was great and I found Cecilia's binging hilarious.
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Date: 2010-12-29 03:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-12-29 05:00 am (UTC)So Willow and Adrian were both dreaming...that was a great twist.
I adore Willow's house...
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Date: 2010-12-29 04:02 pm (UTC)I think you meant Cecilia and Brittany... but yeah I really had fun with that sequence, and I'm glad people are enjoying it. :D
Willow's house was fun to make. I still have to finish a lot of it though and there are poseboxes all over the place. I'm still finding extras stuffed in the attic corners, lol.
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Date: 2010-12-29 04:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-12-31 09:47 pm (UTC)Un-Willow seems kind of familiar? I can't remember if she's been shown before as someone else, but I'm guessing she's going to be important later on, if Adrian's dream holds any importance to the plot (which I'm guessing it does).
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Date: 2010-12-31 10:41 pm (UTC)Un-Willow... lol... I'm not sure what you meant by the comment, but here's a reminder of where you might have seen her ( pic ). Helene will definitely be important to what Willow's going through.
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Date: 2010-12-31 10:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-01 03:23 am (UTC)Jasmine is so stubborn in her way of thinking the worst of people. I <3 it.
Glad to see that Cecilia is learning to cope with her unwelcome Sixth Sense!
I'm really studying and enjoying how to crop your pictures. It reminds me of well-done graphic novels. Like the shot where Jasmine's head is cut off and you just see her holding her coffee cup...it focuses my attention on Adrian, instead, which I suspect is what you were going for. Nicely done! :)
Late comment is late and...disjointed. Sorry. :( I've already been at the New Year's champagne.
Happy 2011!
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Date: 2011-01-01 07:52 am (UTC)I do crop and compose my pics to flow a lot like a graphic novel or storyboard. It does help to get readers to focus on what's important, even if my pics aren't overly detailed. Thanks for noticing. :)
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Date: 2011-01-04 10:31 am (UTC)I love the current Rowan/Sage storyline and can't wait to see how that resolves itself. I think Cecilia and the ghost storyline brings much more depth to her character, Jasmine however is frustrating me by how she keeps ruining her chances with Adrian. I am loving that Clara is trying to weasel her way into their family and am looking forward to seeing how they/Willow work out that the anger charm is to do with her. I'm thinking there is some backstory between Clara/Denise/Clive that I've either missed or is in previous generation stories, or yet to be revealed!
Of course, I adore the Frog Brothers, er I mean Wren and Raven and can't wait until they reach uni too!
The main plot with Willow is also really intriguing, has she now been changed to the path of Darkness? There is definitely something a bit more dark in her now. I really hope things turn out ok for her and Gabe!
Your work is inspiring, can't wait to read more! :)
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Date: 2011-01-04 08:19 pm (UTC)I really won't say much about the plot lines. But as for Jasmine, I was actually thinking about this the other day, and you're right she totally ruins her chances with Adrian, even though he's admitted as much that he doesn't feel the same way about her. But if she really wanted to she probably could have had him by now. She is too aware though that the person Adrian might be in love with is her best friend, and having grown up "privileged" (though she won't admit that), she just doesn't want to be the consolation prize, I guess. :) That's how I look at it.
Wren and Raven probably won't be reaching Uni in these series, but I'm sure there's enough vampires for them to stake out in the meantime. ;) I am planning a spinoff story with them in it.
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Date: 2011-01-14 07:49 am (UTC)!!!
Date: 2011-01-16 12:56 am (UTC)Keep up the good work!!
Re: !!!
Date: 2011-01-16 01:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-03-17 07:26 pm (UTC)