soundtrack: "Take On Me," by A-Ha
July 2085: take on me
Friday, July 28, 2085. Charlie Roseland and Natty Deppiesse are 20.
soundtrack: "Take On Me," by A-Ha
soundtrack: "Take On Me," by A-Ha
July 2085: in between days, part 5.5
Charlie Roseland is 20. Ingrid Thompson is 22. Laney Thompson is 26.
Soundtrack, "In Between Days" by The Cure
Thursday, July 27, 2085: 11:30 pm
Ingrid left two car-loads of people downstairs and went to see if her sister liked the idea of having company. Seeing as how Laney wasn’t even dressed, it didn't look promising.
“You okay? Are you sick or something?”
Laney moved, finally, to resituate her head on the pages of her book. “No, I'm okay.”
“Did something happen at work?”
“No, nothing ever happens at work.”
“Then what are you doing? Reading through osmosis?”
Ingrid snickered at her own joke, but Laney just stared on, blank and unconcerned, occupied and sort of dazed.
Soundtrack, "In Between Days" by The Cure
Thursday, July 27, 2085: 11:30 pm
Ingrid left two car-loads of people downstairs and went to see if her sister liked the idea of having company. Seeing as how Laney wasn’t even dressed, it didn't look promising.
“You okay? Are you sick or something?”
Laney moved, finally, to resituate her head on the pages of her book. “No, I'm okay.”
“Did something happen at work?”
“No, nothing ever happens at work.”
“Then what are you doing? Reading through osmosis?”
Ingrid snickered at her own joke, but Laney just stared on, blank and unconcerned, occupied and sort of dazed.
July 2085: in between days, part 5
Charlie Roseland is 20. Sophia Nelson is 21. Ingrid Thompson and Benny Winters are 22.
Soundtrack, "In Between Days" by The Cure
Thursday, July 27, 2085: 5:30 pm
"It's the last day for the summer fair, Charlie. Five hours is not even enough time. Carpe diem. Let's seize the fucking day."
Charlie didn't stop home after work. He threw his gear into the dusty crevice behind the front seat of his truck and drove over to the county fairgrounds. Ingrid waited in the center of the midway with his friends, like they were already her friends now too, like she'd transplanted herself into the middle of his whole universe so she wouldn't be missed or forgotten. Her lips curved into a pleased smile.
Soundtrack, "In Between Days" by The Cure
Thursday, July 27, 2085: 5:30 pm
"It's the last day for the summer fair, Charlie. Five hours is not even enough time. Carpe diem. Let's seize the fucking day."
Charlie didn't stop home after work. He threw his gear into the dusty crevice behind the front seat of his truck and drove over to the county fairgrounds. Ingrid waited in the center of the midway with his friends, like they were already her friends now too, like she'd transplanted herself into the middle of his whole universe so she wouldn't be missed or forgotten. Her lips curved into a pleased smile.
July 2085: in between days, part 4
Ezra Dunning is 26, Hilary Monif is 20, Lola Franco is 24.
Soundtrack, "In Between Days" by The Cure
Thursday, July 27, 2085: 10:00 pm
Now, the girl in blue came inside carrying the weight of a fight—Ezra knew what that was like, the tension that dragged you down when you only wanted to come out and have a good time. Lola had just gone home. He’d been neglecting her, she said. He’d been distant and sketchy, she said. She was tired of his bullshit, she said. To be honest, he was tired of it too.
The girl in blue shook herself off and perked up, sighing off whatever it was that brought her down, and moved across the room like she danced, smoothly. He followed her. He’d seen her the other night, and seeing her again now, she just seemed like something bright and resilient he needed in his life. He just needed to try to talk to her, just for a minute, and if she wanted him to fuck off, then he would.
Soundtrack, "In Between Days" by The Cure
Thursday, July 27, 2085: 10:00 pm
Now, the girl in blue came inside carrying the weight of a fight—Ezra knew what that was like, the tension that dragged you down when you only wanted to come out and have a good time. Lola had just gone home. He’d been neglecting her, she said. He’d been distant and sketchy, she said. She was tired of his bullshit, she said. To be honest, he was tired of it too.
The girl in blue shook herself off and perked up, sighing off whatever it was that brought her down, and moved across the room like she danced, smoothly. He followed her. He’d seen her the other night, and seeing her again now, she just seemed like something bright and resilient he needed in his life. He just needed to try to talk to her, just for a minute, and if she wanted him to fuck off, then he would.
July 2085: in between days, part 3.5
Ingrid Thompson is 22, Charlie Roseland is 20.
Soundtrack, "In Between Days" by The Cure
Thursday, July 27, 2085: 11:30 am
“Charlie! I feel like I haven’t seen you in three months and eighteen days!”
“You saw me twelve hours ago.”
Soundtrack, "In Between Days" by The Cure
Thursday, July 27, 2085: 11:30 am
“Charlie! I feel like I haven’t seen you in three months and eighteen days!”
“You saw me twelve hours ago.”
July 2085: in between days, part 3
Natty is 20. Ashley is 50.
Soundtrack, "In Between Days" by The Cure
Thursday, July 27, 2085: 10:00 pm
Natty called Charlie from home again when she got there, but that was silly. It had only been five minutes since the last time she tried. She called Benny next, but there was no answer there either. It was too late to call Gabby again. Gabby would probably be in bed by now anyway, and Natty didn’t want to lose favor with Charlie’s parents any more than she already had.
Natty didn’t know what else to do, so she picked up some dinner plates and took them to the sink.
Soundtrack, "In Between Days" by The Cure
Thursday, July 27, 2085: 10:00 pm
Natty called Charlie from home again when she got there, but that was silly. It had only been five minutes since the last time she tried. She called Benny next, but there was no answer there either. It was too late to call Gabby again. Gabby would probably be in bed by now anyway, and Natty didn’t want to lose favor with Charlie’s parents any more than she already had.
Natty didn’t know what else to do, so she picked up some dinner plates and took them to the sink.
July 2085: in between days, part 2
Natty and Hilary are 20.
Soundtrack, "In Between Days" by The Cure
Thursday, July 27, 2085: 8:30 pm
Dance like nobody’s watching, even if you forget the moves. That's what people say, isn't it?
Natty used to dance. She used to dance even if she wasn’t good at it, and she didn’t care who saw her, or what they thought, or how she looked. She just danced. And she loved the hell out of it.
At some point she stopped dancing, and she doesn’t remember when or why. She never imagined it meant anything was wrong. People get busy, working jobs, going to college. Who even had time for dancing anymore? Losing yourself in the frenzy of so many warm bodies and all that music? Natty was trying to find herself, not lose herself.
Thursday, July 27, 2085: 8:30 pm
Dance like nobody’s watching, even if you forget the moves. That's what people say, isn't it?
Natty used to dance. She used to dance even if she wasn’t good at it, and she didn’t care who saw her, or what they thought, or how she looked. She just danced. And she loved the hell out of it.
At some point she stopped dancing, and she doesn’t remember when or why. She never imagined it meant anything was wrong. People get busy, working jobs, going to college. Who even had time for dancing anymore? Losing yourself in the frenzy of so many warm bodies and all that music? Natty was trying to find herself, not lose herself.
July 2085: in between days, part 1
Natty and Hilary are 20.
Soundtrack, "In Between Days" by The Cure
Thursday, July 27, 2085: 2:30 pm
Having Hilary back made Natty feel fifteen again for a minute, and she thought that was everything she'd wanted, for things to be back the way they used to be. It was just like old times, the way the two of them would sun themselves on her parents beach when her dad would drag Charlie and Isaiah to an air show because he had no sons of his own. Natty could almost pretend they were back there again. Almost. If she pretended really hard.
It was Hilary's idea that Natty probably shouldn't call Charlie while she was here. "You need to experience being your own person for just once."
"I am my own person," Natty said.
"Not really," Hilary told her. "You're Charlie's girlfriend. But who are you? Who are you without him? Don't you want to find out?"
Natty had told herself that exact thing five weeks ago, and now it sounded like a load of bullshit. Like she was going to magically turn into some new and exciting person with a magic haircut and instant personality change? Was it supposed to unveil something profound about her life? All she'd discovered was that she didn't really like her hair short. She couldn't wait for it to grow back again.
Natty had expected all of this to feel different. She expected something to happen here. That maybe some cogs would click into place and she would reach enlightenment, or at least she'd have a little bit of fun. Instead she felt nothing, except anxious that too much nostalgia was making her lose grip on her whole life. This was not her life.
Soundtrack, "In Between Days" by The Cure
Thursday, July 27, 2085: 2:30 pm
Having Hilary back made Natty feel fifteen again for a minute, and she thought that was everything she'd wanted, for things to be back the way they used to be. It was just like old times, the way the two of them would sun themselves on her parents beach when her dad would drag Charlie and Isaiah to an air show because he had no sons of his own. Natty could almost pretend they were back there again. Almost. If she pretended really hard.
It was Hilary's idea that Natty probably shouldn't call Charlie while she was here. "You need to experience being your own person for just once."
"I am my own person," Natty said.
"Not really," Hilary told her. "You're Charlie's girlfriend. But who are you? Who are you without him? Don't you want to find out?"
Natty had told herself that exact thing five weeks ago, and now it sounded like a load of bullshit. Like she was going to magically turn into some new and exciting person with a magic haircut and instant personality change? Was it supposed to unveil something profound about her life? All she'd discovered was that she didn't really like her hair short. She couldn't wait for it to grow back again.
Natty had expected all of this to feel different. She expected something to happen here. That maybe some cogs would click into place and she would reach enlightenment, or at least she'd have a little bit of fun. Instead she felt nothing, except anxious that too much nostalgia was making her lose grip on her whole life. This was not her life.
a quickie authorial interjection
A small but maybe significant revision. As I was working on the book version of Natty and Charlie's story, something changed that I can't really take back. So you'll probably notice something a little different in the coming chapter (if you haven't noticed it already) that might seem like a surprise. But since I wrote it, it's something I can't really separate from Charlie and Natty anymore in my head, and as I'm working on these pieces of their story, I can't imagine their history being any other way.
It's kind of awkward to work into this version of the story now since we're so far along, so you'll just have to imagine it was true all along, but that Natty didn't tell you. Because they really didn't tell anyone, as Hilary is finding out. So when Hilary hears the story here, you will too.
It was something they were sort of talking around in this piece, while never really saying it exactly. So I hope you'll all find it fits the idea you had of them well enough.
Also, just because I'm counting down times and dates, it doesn't mean something "bad" is going to happen.
Bad is a relative term, of course. ;)
The times and dates are a functional thing, so you'll know where and when you are in the story, since the next few pieces take place all in the same space of a few days, but from several points of view.
It's kind of awkward to work into this version of the story now since we're so far along, so you'll just have to imagine it was true all along, but that Natty didn't tell you. Because they really didn't tell anyone, as Hilary is finding out. So when Hilary hears the story here, you will too.
It was something they were sort of talking around in this piece, while never really saying it exactly. So I hope you'll all find it fits the idea you had of them well enough.
Also, just because I'm counting down times and dates, it doesn't mean something "bad" is going to happen.
Bad is a relative term, of course. ;)
The times and dates are a functional thing, so you'll know where and when you are in the story, since the next few pieces take place all in the same space of a few days, but from several points of view.
July 2085: the answers
Charlie Roseland is 20, Ingrid Thompson is 22.
The first post card: no words, just a sun-shiny Florida beach, his name and address in her handwriting. In the message box was a kiss in pale pink lipstick.
He held it to his nose and inhaled, waxy like makeup, like girl, like Natty. He tried to guess which dress she wore when she had this lipstick on, as if he had any idea which lipstick went with which dress, so he just imagined her in his favorites. Then he wondered how many guys she kissed with that lipstick.
No, he told himself. Stop. This has to mean something good. She sent me a kiss.
Charlie's summer internship went as internships tend to go: he was a glorified errand boy. He was told what buttons to push and in what order.
The first post card: no words, just a sun-shiny Florida beach, his name and address in her handwriting. In the message box was a kiss in pale pink lipstick.
He held it to his nose and inhaled, waxy like makeup, like girl, like Natty. He tried to guess which dress she wore when she had this lipstick on, as if he had any idea which lipstick went with which dress, so he just imagined her in his favorites. Then he wondered how many guys she kissed with that lipstick.
No, he told himself. Stop. This has to mean something good. She sent me a kiss.
---
Charlie's summer internship went as internships tend to go: he was a glorified errand boy. He was told what buttons to push and in what order.
July 2085: everybody loves Ezra
Ezra Dunning is 26.
Everybody loves Ezra, which is a phenomenon he finds quite honestly baffling, since for the first quarter-century of his life, he was nothing but a tall geek with unruly red hair, immature and sometimes lazy, decidedly not charming, and he hadn’t had an actual girlfriend since high school. And then he moved to Sunrise Shores and met Lola, who was beautiful, sweet, and sexy. This is not Lola though. This is her roommate Joelle, and Joelle loves Ezra too.
Everybody loves Ezra, which is a phenomenon he finds quite honestly baffling, since for the first quarter-century of his life, he was nothing but a tall geek with unruly red hair, immature and sometimes lazy, decidedly not charming, and he hadn’t had an actual girlfriend since high school. And then he moved to Sunrise Shores and met Lola, who was beautiful, sweet, and sexy. This is not Lola though. This is her roommate Joelle, and Joelle loves Ezra too.
July 2085: how to make castles
Paige Roberts is 11.
It had rained all night, and the morning of her eleventh birthday, a heavy fog settled over the neighborhood. "We can do whatever you want later," Paige's mom said. "Do you want to go out for dinner? Or I could take you to the mall?"
“Can I ride my bike?”
“Not now, maybe later if the fog clears.”
“Can you drive me over to Tara’s house?”
“Sure, I'll drive you over when the fog clears.”
Her mother liked everything to be safe. Her mother liked to see where everyone was and that they were okay.
"Why don't you go try out your new barre for a little while? Your daddy spent a whole night installing that for you."
"I know," Paige said. "I like it."
It had rained all night, and the morning of her eleventh birthday, a heavy fog settled over the neighborhood. "We can do whatever you want later," Paige's mom said. "Do you want to go out for dinner? Or I could take you to the mall?"
“Can I ride my bike?”
“Not now, maybe later if the fog clears.”
“Can you drive me over to Tara’s house?”
“Sure, I'll drive you over when the fog clears.”
Her mother liked everything to be safe. Her mother liked to see where everyone was and that they were okay.
"Why don't you go try out your new barre for a little while? Your daddy spent a whole night installing that for you."
"I know," Paige said. "I like it."
goldfish, pt. 3: playing cupid
This is something that has been plaguing me since I started playing TS3. Attraction scores. You guys know how much I used to love using them in my TS2 stories, and how useful they are as a numerical representation of something that is otherwise pretty intangible—human compatibility.
Well in TS3, attraction is pretty much useless. For some reason, all of my Sim couples chart a 10/10, and they roll pretty much zero wishes to indicate any preference for one romantic choice over another. And though I know TS4 is coming along in a few more months, I don't have much confidence that the attraction system there will be any better, at least not to start. And I won't be playing it in any real capacity from the beginning anyway, because I like to wait until there are a few EPs out. So I'm going to be sticking with TS3 for a little while here, and I'd like to make this work for me.
I've been working on a little project. It requires a basic set of calculations using traits, aspirations, and zodiac, which are factors taken from both TS2 and TS3, because I do note both for each of my Sims. Because of that, perhaps this system will be completely useless to anyone but myself. But if any of this is useful to you at all, by all means, feel free to mix it up and use it!
Well in TS3, attraction is pretty much useless. For some reason, all of my Sim couples chart a 10/10, and they roll pretty much zero wishes to indicate any preference for one romantic choice over another. And though I know TS4 is coming along in a few more months, I don't have much confidence that the attraction system there will be any better, at least not to start. And I won't be playing it in any real capacity from the beginning anyway, because I like to wait until there are a few EPs out. So I'm going to be sticking with TS3 for a little while here, and I'd like to make this work for me.
I've been working on a little project. It requires a basic set of calculations using traits, aspirations, and zodiac, which are factors taken from both TS2 and TS3, because I do note both for each of my Sims. Because of that, perhaps this system will be completely useless to anyone but myself. But if any of this is useful to you at all, by all means, feel free to mix it up and use it!
July 4th, 2085: little explosions
Gabby is 12, Charlie is 20, Ian and Ingrid are 22, Laney is 26, Andreas is 27, Kyle is 28, Carly is 30.
12:15pm:
"Pass it over," Gabby said. "Give me a try. Come on. I can do it. I’m pretty good. I mean, you're really good, but I’m pretty good too. Okay? Pass it over."
Sophia said, "But... you're wearing flippers."
12:15pm:
"Pass it over," Gabby said. "Give me a try. Come on. I can do it. I’m pretty good. I mean, you're really good, but I’m pretty good too. Okay? Pass it over."
Sophia said, "But... you're wearing flippers."
July 2085: work ethic
Quinn Buchanan is 14, Mariah is 36, Lily is 13. Tommy Daniels is 24.
"Can I give you a name?" Quinn said to the chicken. "Myrtle. Myrtle the chicken. It's a pleasure to meet you, Myrtle. Because I thought we should be on a first name basis, seeing how we're going to be spending so much time together this summer."
The chicken tilted her head. Quinn imagined she was listening.
"Myrtle, can you keep a secret?"
"Can I give you a name?" Quinn said to the chicken. "Myrtle. Myrtle the chicken. It's a pleasure to meet you, Myrtle. Because I thought we should be on a first name basis, seeing how we're going to be spending so much time together this summer."
The chicken tilted her head. Quinn imagined she was listening.
"Myrtle, can you keep a secret?"
July 2085: if looks could kill
Gabby Roseland is 12. Lily Riley-Kim is 13.
Soundtrack: "If Looks Could Kill" by Heart
It was just an ordinary hot and hazy day in July. Gabby Roseland didn't think anything about wearing her green spotted flippers to the beach...
Soundtrack: "If Looks Could Kill" by Heart
It was just an ordinary hot and hazy day in July. Gabby Roseland didn't think anything about wearing her green spotted flippers to the beach...
June/July 2085: postcards
Extras, outtakes, and updates from our supporting cast. Many of these photos were also posted on my Tumblr, but Tumblr is chaotic and lacks structure. So for the sake of documentation, and to choose favorites, these were some of the things that happened in the background of other stories in June and July of 1985.
The Lind and Roberts family:
Paige and her little bestie, Tara Lind. Tara is a year younger than Paige, and going into fifth grade this fall.
The Lind and Roberts family:
Paige and her little bestie, Tara Lind. Tara is a year younger than Paige, and going into fifth grade this fall.
June 2085: girls just want to have fun
Happy 27th birthday to Debbie and Darla Roberts.
Soundtrack: "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," by Cyndi Lauper
warnings: walls o' text, whee!
Debbie slid onto a bar stool and picked up the nearest drink. Something lemony, sour, strong she hoped. "Oh God, he didn't even see me. I'm mortified."
"Who?" Darla asked.
"Demitri Hobbes. Did you see him? He was in here for a minute, can you believe it? He was actually here. And he didn't even recognize me. I feel like an idiot. Everybody saw me waving like a stupid love-struck girl." Debbie sighed. "You know I did a job for him this week?"
"I have no idea who you're talking about," Darla said.
"You know, the soap actor! On Turning Tides???"
Darla didn't watch soaps, but she knew what Turning Tides was, a low-budget daytime soap filmed here in Lake City. It was sort of hard to escape in this town.
Debbie sloughed off her shame, sitting straighter, tossing her head once so that the curls piled on top of her head bounced. She grinned. "I purchased a new sofa for him. And he loved it."
Darla still couldn’t believe people paid her sister to shop for a living.
"And he gave me flowers," Debbie added.
"Did he pay you in money?"
Soundtrack: "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," by Cyndi Lauper
warnings: walls o' text, whee!
"Who?" Darla asked.
"Demitri Hobbes. Did you see him? He was in here for a minute, can you believe it? He was actually here. And he didn't even recognize me. I feel like an idiot. Everybody saw me waving like a stupid love-struck girl." Debbie sighed. "You know I did a job for him this week?"
"I have no idea who you're talking about," Darla said.
"You know, the soap actor! On Turning Tides???"
Darla didn't watch soaps, but she knew what Turning Tides was, a low-budget daytime soap filmed here in Lake City. It was sort of hard to escape in this town.
Debbie sloughed off her shame, sitting straighter, tossing her head once so that the curls piled on top of her head bounced. She grinned. "I purchased a new sofa for him. And he loved it."
Darla still couldn’t believe people paid her sister to shop for a living.
"And he gave me flowers," Debbie added.
"Did he pay you in money?"
June 2085: adventures in babysitting, part 2
Charlie Roseland is 20, Gabby is 12.
After Natty had been gone for three weeks, her pillow stopped smelling like her shampoo anymore. And that was when the reality that Charlie might never get her back again really struck him. Hard.
And maybe that might have been the night Gabby heard him crying (not nearly as much as she made out), when she complained: "This is like, the worst summer ever! Can we do something fun? Because Mom and Dad are in China having fun, and Natty's in Florida having fun, and you just sit around the house looking at naked pictures and crying all day."
"Don't touch those pictures," Charlie said.
"I didn't," Gabby said. "Eeew! I'm not too young or stupid to know what you do with them. Yuck."
After Natty had been gone for three weeks, her pillow stopped smelling like her shampoo anymore. And that was when the reality that Charlie might never get her back again really struck him. Hard.
And maybe that might have been the night Gabby heard him crying (not nearly as much as she made out), when she complained: "This is like, the worst summer ever! Can we do something fun? Because Mom and Dad are in China having fun, and Natty's in Florida having fun, and you just sit around the house looking at naked pictures and crying all day."
"Don't touch those pictures," Charlie said.
"I didn't," Gabby said. "Eeew! I'm not too young or stupid to know what you do with them. Yuck."
June 2085: adventures in babysitting, part 1
Charlie Roseland is 20, Gabby is 12.
Gabby put her overnight bag by the couch, stuffed full with two weeks of clothes, and she'd left her soccer ball by the door. She looked around her brother's apartment, which seemed oddly vacant somehow, though she couldn't place what was different. It smelled like burnt plastic and pizza. Their parents were going to China so their dad could research for his new book, and Gabby wasn't invited. Charlie wasn't invited either though, so she didn't feel too badly about that.
"You kids can use the house if you want," her mother said. "Are you sure you have enough space here?"
"It's fine, Mom," Charlie said.
"Well you both have keys. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call. Here’s some money, it should be plenty. Where’s Natty?"
Gabby put her overnight bag by the couch, stuffed full with two weeks of clothes, and she'd left her soccer ball by the door. She looked around her brother's apartment, which seemed oddly vacant somehow, though she couldn't place what was different. It smelled like burnt plastic and pizza. Their parents were going to China so their dad could research for his new book, and Gabby wasn't invited. Charlie wasn't invited either though, so she didn't feel too badly about that.
"You kids can use the house if you want," her mother said. "Are you sure you have enough space here?"
"It's fine, Mom," Charlie said.
"Well you both have keys. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call. Here’s some money, it should be plenty. Where’s Natty?"
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