The Foxworth Legacy

Generation Six: Part Three

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 02:55:00 GMT

A long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... Genevieve found raising twins Cameron and Christian much easier than raising the hellions of Shannon and Austin, who continued to be brats as they got older. They eventually pulled Christian to the dark side, leaving Cameron as The Chosen One. The family ghosts came out in full force one night and scared Austin to death, making Genevieve doubt she'd made the right choices in her life. Oh yeah, and Reid kicked it, too.

If you don't read my personal journal, imaginepageant, you might be wondering where I've been lately and why it's taken so long to get this update out. Well! My computer went berserk last month, and after being out of commission for a week, we finally got it working again, only to discover that my files were being held hostage and were inaccessible. After trying a bunch of different things to get them back over the next week or two, we made a breakthrough! Then I realized I couldn't reinstall the game, because I'd lent my mother two of my EPs and now she couldn't find them! About a week after that, she did, so I reinstalled everything and started playing like a madwoman because almost a MONTH OF WITHDRAWL is a hard thing to overcome.

And now, OFF WE GO, WEEEEEEEEH! (Sorry if it seems a little rushed and... well, crappy. It'll be better next time!)

Life as a teenager sure was tough. As if it wasn't enough that my Grandpa and older brother had died, and my sister had tormented me every day until she finally moved out, now my own twin brother was using me as his personal punching bag.

I wasn't having much luck with girls, either. I don't know what the problem was—I was cute, and really nice, and smart, too. But no matter how much I flirted with her, Melody Tinker was just not interested.

And let's not forget that my mom was the town slut. Now she was even making out with our robot, Nebula974! It was so embarassing! Doesn't she have any humility at all?

Sometimes it felt like my parrot, Valkyrie, was my only friend. At least she didn't give me noogies or make out with robots. At least she loved me.

And I always had my music to turn to when things got really rough at home. I could sing away the hours or wail on my guitar until my fingers hurt, and all of my worries would melt away.

I was going to be a rockstar one day, and I didn't really need to go to college for that, but four years out of this house and away from my mother was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. So I diligently did my homework and never skipped a class so that Sim State U would have no reason to reject me.

Of course, they didn't. Finally, I was out of that crazy house—at least for awhile. Once I was settled into my dorm, I felt more relaxed and happier than I had in a long time.

I'd brought all of my instruments with me, and luckily no one minded the late-night jam sessions. In fact, the other kids in the dorm wanted to play, too!

I didn't have much money, but I always made sure to drop a few bucks into the tip jars. I had to support my fellow aspiring musicians!

One day I ran into an old "friend" on campus: Melody Tinker. Now that I was tall and buff and had a sexy lip piercing, she was a lot more interested in me than she was in high school. She even agreed to take a walk in the park with me before class.

I guess the autumn atmosphere was romantic or something, because as we strolled across the grass and fallen leaves, Melody was hanging onto my every word. She was flirting right back. And she positively swooned when I kissed her hand!

We went back to my dorm after class, and that's when things started to get serious. Melody gave me my first kiss that afternoon, but it didn't stop there—she practically dragged me to my bed and ripped my clothes off!

Now that I'd had sex once, all I wanted was to do it again! Suddenly I realized how many beautiful women went to Sim State U... it was like being a kid in a candy store!

I started flirting with every girl I came across, and they all soaked it up like sponges. I couldn't believe how easy it was!

But why should I limit myself to girls? Guys were just as fun. Especially this one I met downtown at the Crypt-o-Night Club. He was really pale and never wanted to come over during the day, but that was fine with me—nighttime is sexier, anyway.

Then one night, strange things started to happen. Some guy I'd never met before came into the dorm univited and handcuffed me! I was shocked, but intrigued; I'd never tried bondage before, but I was up for anything!

As the mysterious stranger shoved me into a black car, I started to get a little confused. We were going to do it in the car?

After a drive across campus the car pulled up to a really creepy house. Then I realized exactly what this was: a cult! Like the one in that book by Christopher Rice! There were going to be drugs and orgies and...

And lots of hot women. Score!

It wasn't long before I'd had every girl in the house practically in love with me.

But some of them weren't always eager to share me with the others. That's a little weird. I mean if they're in a cult which holds intoxicated orgies, you'd think they'd be used to this kind of thing.

One afternoon one of the girls from the cult caught me in bed with Melody and flipped her wig. I told her she shouldn't mind if she was going to share me in an orgy with all the other girls, and that got her even more upset. Turns out it wasn't a cult after all; it was just a boring old secret society. Well, how was I supposed to know!

After I was kicked out of the secret society, it was back to bagging girls all by myself. Not that that was a problem; I was really good at it by this point.

Well, okay, maybe not that good.

It might've taken me awhile, but at last Elise Chin surrendered to my adorable boyish charm. And it was worth the wait—she was easily the most gorgeous woman I'd ever met!

Because it'd been so tough to win her over, I didn't want to let Elise go just yet. We dated all winter, going iceskating and then sharing mugs of hot chocolate before making out in front of the fire. You can't get much more romantic than that!

But we never agreed to go steady, so I thought it was perfectly fine to keep seeing other women as well.

And the occasional man. Constantine was kind of scary, and really liked to nibble on my neck for some reason, but that was cool—I liked it rough now and then.

Eventually my intricate web of romance started to fall apart. When you're sleeping with practically every girl in the dorm, I guess it's only a matter of time before they all start to figure it all out.

It didn't help that a lot of the girls overreacted over silly things like an innocent backrub. Okay, so I was sleeping with Melody, too, but they couldn't tell that just from a backrub!

Soon the girls actually started fighting over me. Almost every day there would be a scuffle in the kitchen or the common room! Most guys would enjoy a good catfight, but I didn't want anyone to get hurt because of me!

All this juggling and worrying was overwhelming, and by my junior year I realized my grades were suffering because of it. To avoid academic probation, I tried hacking into the school's records to enhance my grade...

Turns out I wasn't the best hacker in the world. The security system caught me red-handed and even dispatched a police officer to the dorm to yell at me and giving me a warning that if this ever happened again, I'd be going to jail!

By the time Officer Centowski left, I doubted she'd ever put me behind bars—though I was still willing to try those handcuffs.

I really did learn a lesson from it all, though: it's just too difficult to juggle a bunch of girls at once. So I settled on seeing on two girls during my senior year. Melody Tinker was one...

And Elise Chin was, of course, the other. I liked both women too much to choose between them, so I didn't. I might have failed to mention it to either one of them, though.

Christian lectured me again and again about my two-timing ways, but what did he know about women, anyway? And what could possibly go wrong?

Oh... that.

Melody was outraged, even when I apologized profusely for what I'd done. I pleaded with her to understand, to realize that our relationship hadn't been serious, we were just kids in college and this is what kids in college do...

But she wasn't having any of it. All she knew was that I'd broken her heart. In her anger she called me all sorts of foul names, and she even slapped me! But I guess I deserved it.

I was a wreck for a long while after that. I'd never be able to forgive myself for hurting Melody... and even worse, I'd lost her forever.

But I still had Elise, who, to my shock, didn't dump me, too. She thought exactly the way I did—we didn't have a serious commitment, so why shouldn't I see other girls as well? But now I knew I didn't want to see any other girls.

Right before graduation, I took Elise to a fancy dinner downtown, and I popped the question. I wanted her to be my wife, and the mother of my children.. I really did! I had to wonder if all of this trouble had happened for a reason, just to bring the two of us together.

She stared at the ring for a long time, contemplating. She was just as independent a person as I was, so I watched on pins and needles, hoping that she'd give up her freedom to be with me...

And she did it—she said yes! She might not have been the one I thought I would end up with, but I couldn't have been happier that I did. Soon we'd be graduating, getting married, and starting a family of our own, which would continue the Foxworth line... and I couldn't wait to get started!

Generation Six: Part Two

Mon, 14 May 2007 19:07:17 GMT

Last we left off, Genevieve excitedly gave birth to her first child, Shannon, but quickly realized that babies weren't as fun as she'd thought. She was decidedly less thrilled when she became pregnant again; this time she had a boy, Austin. Amber wasn't happy that Genevieve refused to settle down with her kids' father, but her meddling was short-lived—she died of malnutrition. The family moved to a new house, and shortly after, Genevieve realized she was pregnant once again. Nine months later she delivered not one, but two sons, Christian and Cameron.

Taking care of twins was twice as fun as taking care of one baby at a time, if by fun you mean frustrating to the point of wanting to tear my hair out.

Luckily, Brad was around more often to help out. For a guy that never demanded any sort of monogamy or commitment from me, he sure was a committed dad!

The CleanBot that Dad built was a big help, too. Not having to worry about cleaning up old bottles or throwing away dirty diapers made things a lot easier!

Except when it shorted out and started spewing piles of trash everywhere! Ugh!

It didn't help, either, that Austin was growing up to be a mischievous little imp. That kid and his evil looks really scared me sometimes!

It didn't take a genius to figure out where he was getting it from.

Shannon and Austin got along most of the time, but they squabbled endlessly over SSX 3. Talk about sore losers.

The twins really surprised me as they got older, though. They weren't whiny brats like Shannon and Austin had been. They were actually a lot of fun!

Dad helped out with the not-so-fun aspects of childrearing, thank god! Now that he was retired, he had a lot more time than I did to spend potty training, anyway.

He was spending a lot of time at his mechanical table, too, crafting all sorts of devices, until he finally created artificial intelligence! He named his robot Nebula974, which is a pretty dumb name if you ask me, but whatever.

For the most part, Nebula974 was really helpful around the house, but I could've done without his incessant cooking when nobody was hungry. And we didn't need Christmas cookies in the middle of July, either.

Of course, Nebula974 broke down once in awhile like all of Dad's creations. Probably because it kept trying to fix the leaky shower. Artificial intelligence? Hardly.

Anyway, time went on, the kids got older, Shannon got her driver's liscence and could drive her and Austin to school when they missed the bus, which was just about every day. Blah blah blah.

Though they were both troublemakers, Shannon and Austin were different in a lot of ways. He was definitely the smarter child. Shannon... well, she had a lot of trouble with basic logic.

She also didn't have the intelligence to come in out of the cold when she started turning blue.

And she was exceptionally bad at giving her friends makeovers. I mean, the purple raccoon look is so yesterday!

Sadly, she never outgrew the bitchy phase that began when she was only a year old. She scowled more than smiled, and was downright mean to people for no good reason.

Her attitude continued to rub off on Austin, who was less than sweet to his little brothers.

In turn, Christian began picking up Austin's behavior, too, and turned into quite the brat as he grew up. It seemed that whenever I tried to work on a painting, there was Christian jumping on my bed and refusing to give me a minute's peace. How rude!

I thought he'd at least be nice to his own twin brother, but nope. Christian loved tormenting Cameron with electric shocks, not caring that Cameron would cry about it for an hour afterwards.

Aside from being a bit of a wuss, Cameron really was an angel. He had none of the meanness that his sister and brothers had. He never whined or misbehaved just for attention. Thank god I had one sane child out of the bunch! It was a no-brainer that Cameron should be the one to inherit the family fortune and to carry on the Foxworth name.

If you're wondering what I was up to during these years, well... what do you think?

Sadly, though, dating wasn't as fun as it used to be when I was young and carefree. Or maybe I'd just run out of interesting people to date. Steven Dallas was especially boring, but then again, he was a maid, so he was probably gay.

Shannon still got her panties all in a bunch whenever I went on a date with someone other than her father. It's not like I was cheating on Brad since we weren't even technically together, so I don't see what the big problem was!

Besides, if it wasn't for my flirting with the headmaster of the private school, the kids might not have even gotten in! They should be grateful their mom's a siren!

Sometimes, though... sometimes I wondered if I should've had a real relationship with Brad that went beyond the bedroom (and the hot tub). Sometimes I wondered if that missing presence in my kids' lives was having a real effect on them.

Maybe if Brad and I had gotten married after college, Cameron wouldn't have such a strained relationship with his father today.

Maybe if he'd had a Dad around every afternoon to help him with his homework, Christian wouldn't have gotten such horrible grades.

Maybe if I hadn't dated half the population of Veronaville, Shannon wouldn't have been such an angry, violent young woman.

And if he'd had a constant father figure in his life, maybe Austin would've grown up tougher and braver than he did. Maybe he wouldn't have been so terrified by the ghosts that haunted our house.

Maybe he wouldn't have had a heart so weak that it simply stopped after too many shocks and scares.

He'd just turned thirteen, and my first son was dead. Dead! Gone! It was the biggest blow my family could've suffered, and it left all of us absolutely devastated.

Well, almost all of us.

Austin's death really took its toll on me. I started to lose it, positively go crazy. How does a mother heal after losing one of her children? How does she get past it? I had no idea.

And now even I was seeing the ghosts that Austin had always cried to me about. Were they trying to kill me now, too? Were they going to attack my other children, too?

I immediately sold that house and moved my family to a new one that I hoped wouldn't be haunted, too.

But the bad luck seemed to follow us. Dad was starting to show his age, and had aches and pains all the time, and went through terrible coughing fits every day.

He seemed to know his time was almost up. He started visiting the mausoleum a lot, which he hadn't done in a long time. He spent a lot of time looking at the portraits of his ancestors, and, I guess, preparing himself to join them.

His mental health was failing, too. He'd started talking to the fruit trees in the backyard, actually having whole conversations with them! It was a really sad thing to watch.

It seemed appropriate, though, that he would pass away in the garden he loved... the garden that Mom had begun years ago with just a few tomato plants. Now they were together again in that great garden in the sky. Or something.

Cameron took Dad's death really hard, probably even harder than he'd taken Austin's. He and his grandpa had been really close, and now he was losing the only constant male influence he'd ever had. Now more than ever I wondered if we'd all be happier if Brad was a bigger part of our lives...

The new, new, new house!

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 03:27:26 GMT

Even though I never showed off the last new house... here's a newer one! The Garden District-style one was too big and full of decorative but truly pointless objects (ie. all of those columns, flower bushes, and willow trees), and was causing vicious lag. The new one runs a lot better—there's minimal lag, and everything is generally smoother. It took me three days to complete (not three full, entire days obviously—but at least ten hours, maybe even more). I really like it, but let's see how long it lasts. Any bets?

Without further ado...

I forgot to take pictures of the dining room, whoops. I also purposely didn't include the mausoleum in the basement since it's pretty much looks the same as before, the garage because it's boring, the gym because all it has in it is the Electro Dance Sphere and a punching bag, and the music room because it's just a bunch of instruments and the karaoke machine and everyone already knows what they look like!

Generation Six: Part One

Sat, 21 Apr 2007 17:19:11 GMT

Last we left off, Genevieve grew up in a house full of little boys and her straight-edge big sister. She then took her bubbly self to La Fiesta Tech, where she shunned assignments and classes in order to party, party, party, and date up a storm! Somehow she managed to graduate, and had a celebratory romp in the hot tub with THE HOTTEST GUY EVER, Brad McAuley.

And now for the next chapter, which I had to write twice because I acidentally hit the back button when I was nearly done and everything was lost. GAAAAAAAAAAH.

WARNING: A couple of shots are NSFW!

Now that the fun and freedom of college was behind me, it was time to be a real adult! With a real job! And with the help of monster.com, I found the perfect one: wedding photographer! Free parties with an open bar—what more could a girl ask for?!

Of course I couldn't work all the time—had to leave room for fun, too! I jammed on the guitar or banged on the drumset all night long, and my family complained a lot, but come on, you can't stifle one's musical expression!

Really, though, I'd much rather bang Brad than a bunch of drums—who wouldn't! I couldn't tell you how many times I rang him up for a booty call. Naturally, he was always up for it, if you know what I mean!

Now that the family car was officially mine, you can bet I added it to my list of Places To Do It. We probably made more noise in that car than I did on the drums!

A couple of months after moving back home, my appetite really started to get out of hand. I mean, I was a real pig! Not only did I devour everything in sight, but I was showering the table with food just like my dad and brothers always did. Gross!

Soon I started to get really fat! SUPER GROSS! I was about to join Jenny Craig when Mom gave me her old maternity clothes and told me I was gaining weight because... I was PREGNANT!

I knew the baby was Brad's, because even though I was still dating everyone and their dog, he was the only guy lucky enough to see my bedsheets. He was sort of speechless when I told him about the baby, but he seemed relieved when I let him off the hook about it—I didn't need him to marry me and make me an "honest woman" or anything!

After what seemed like FOREVERRRRRRRRRR, the nine months were finally up and I went into labor in the bathroom. And let me tell you, IT HURT!

But in the end, it was all worth it! A BABY! A cute, fluffy, pink baby girl I could dress up in adorable outfits and bows and show off to all my friends! This was going to be FUN! (Oh yeah, and I named her Shannon.)

I decked out the nursery in all the cute pink things I could find! Nothing was too good (or too pricey!) for my little girl.

Dad loved his little granddaughter and was more than willing to lend a helping hand when I was working or on a date.

Blake was always all over Shannon, too, which was kind of weird if you ask me. Teenage boys should be flirting with girls and playing video games, not spending every spare minute changing diapers! But better him than me, I guess!

On the other hand, Mom pretty much ignored Shannon. I guess she had her fill of crying, whining, smelly babies after having six of her own. Still, it would've been nice if she'd helped a bit! Thanks for nothing, Mom!

I guess I couldn't really blame her for wanting to avoid Shannon. What happened to my cute, fluffy, pink baby girl I could dress up and have fun with? This was NOT FUN!

It only got worse as she got older. Cry, whine, cry, whine, tantrum, tantrum, tantrum... it as all she ever did!

And I think she was plotting my death at some point, too. The kid's expressions creeped me the hell out, let me tell you.

To keep myself sane, I shelled out hard-earned bucks to that money-hungry gypsy so she'd give me compatible dates for once—the last thing I needed now was another flaming bag of poo left on the porch!

But the only guy I was seeing regularly was Brad.

And when I say seeing, I mean screwing. What can I say? He was great in bed! And he never stuck around to "cuddle" or anything boring like that. How lucky was I to snag a guy who was up for sex with no strings attached! Waaaaaaait a minute...

He was a great dad to Shannon, who conveniently cut out the crying bitch routine whenever he was around. NOT FAIR!

Mom was upset and worried about my being a single mother with no plans to build a more solid family for my child, but whatever. Mrs. Family-Is-Everything shouldn't talk when she hardly acknowledged her granddaughter's existence.

After I was promoted and was working longer hours as an art forger, I was super tired, like, all the time. I kept falling asleep at the dinner table, and woke up later with food mashed all over my face. Yuck!

Then I started throwing up every day, too—YUUUUUUUUCK! But I wasn't so naive anymore. I knew what all this freaky stuff meant. There was another bun in the oven!

This pregnancy was way harder now that I had another kid to take care of, too. And this time I couldn't dream of all the fun a baby would bring to keep my spirits up. Fun? Cleaning up a stinky potty was not fun! Ariel or Blake might've thought so, but NOT ME!

Finally it was time for that baby to come out! It was a boy, and I named him Austin. He had Brad's red hair, how cute! But I knew now this wasn't some cute little bundle of joy. Hah, joy, yeah right.

Shannon was really excited to have a baby brother, though. She had all the ideas about babies being fun that I'd had when she was born. Was she ever in for a surprise!

Although, maybe she'd think a whiny baby was fun, since she was still pretty whiny herself. She threw tantrums every couple of days, and about anything under the sun—she was tired, she had to pee, she didn't want to do her homework, blah blah blah.

She also a big troublemaker. She was always breaking the rules I set for her, like jumping on all the beds in the house even though I told her a hundred times not to!

And whenever one of my many admirers called and she answered the phone, she'd bitch them out and hang up on them. Okay, I can understand that she didn't like Mommy dating around, but that's just RUDE!

She was still all smiles whenever Brad came to visit, though. Maybe if he'd moved in with us and was a full-time dad, she'd behave herself better... but I was not ready to settle down with just one guy. I didn't think I'd ever be!

Meanwhile, Mom wasn't feeling very well. She hadn't been for awhile, I guess. She'd be so tired that she'd fall asleep in her food, but she was also so hungry she couldn't sleep for long, but before she could get more than a bite in her tummy she'd pass out again! It was a dangerous cycle.

A really, really dangerous cycle. Eventually all the lack of food and sleep took its toll, and she just collapsed in the bathroom. I mean, she just... dropped dead! Poor Shannon was the first one to find her cold on the bathroom floor.

Of course, Dad was devasted at Mom's death. They'd been married for, like, centuries, and I don't think he knew what to do without her.

He couldn't stand to stay in a house that was full of memories of Mom and their life together, so we didn't. We bought a new house in Veronaville's Botanical Region and moved in immediately.

As for me? I dealt with my grief in a different way. Yeah, I missed Mom, but life had to go on! And what better way to console myself than with a bit of fun with Brad in our new hot tub?

We had some fun indoors, too.

Austin was growing like a weed, and was taking after Shannon way too much for my liking. He threw fits all the time, like when his favorite toy robot shorted out. He screamed for an hour, then tried to play with it again, which set off another tantrum!

And he wasn't very nice to our new dog, Rory. He practically strangled the poor thing on a daily basis!

Dad was a little less adoring of Austin than he'd been of Shannon, though I don't know if it's because Austin was an annoying brat, or if Dad was still sore from losing Mom.

And then, something horrible happened: I realized I was pregnant, AGAIN. WHY, OH WHY? I could not handle another screeching baby!

Well, I wasn't about to let this pregnancy stop me from having any fun I could get before being surrounded by dirty diapers again. I was on the phone nonstop to all of my boyfriends, although Dad didn't think the general topic of conversation was appropriate for a pregnant mother of two. He was such an old fogey!

When I went into labor, nobody seemed to know what to do! Ugh, men. You know what they say—if you want something done, never leave it up to a man to do it. Or something like that.

Soon enough, it was all over, and Brad and I were parents to another red-haired boy... but then I felt another kick in my stomach! I nearly died in shock and horror! ANOTHER BABY WAS COMING! NOOOOOOOO!

Twins. TWINS! Not one screeching baby, but TWO! Although, I have to admit, the thought of dressing them up in identical outfits made me squeal in excitement. Maybe Cameron and Christian wouldn't be as bad, maybe...

New additions

Mon, 02 Apr 2007 17:39:25 GMT

Genevieve and Ariel's profiles have been added, along with an updated family tree, which you will notice is missing some faces. That's because I haven't taken pictures of those people yet. Oops!

I've also set up a list of resources in the userinfo, and soon there'll also be a list of my favorite legacies as well. I'd do it now, but it's already almost 2:00 and I haven't even touched the game yet, so off I go!

P.S. Does anyone know how to successfully use CSS in the userinfo? I really want to change the color of the links but nothing I do seems to work.

Generation Five: Part Two

Sat, 31 Mar 2007 19:21:31 GMT

Last time on the Foxworth Legacy, Reid and Amber rekindled their love now that Jordan was out of the picture, although Nadia never knew of it. Amber's baby was born with Reid's pale skintone, assuring them that she was indeed his. After Ariel, three more children followed: the very fussy Genevieve, and twin boys named Fabian and Wesley. After years of raising babies Reid was glad to be rid of diapers, until Amber wanted more children, and unable to deny his beloved her life's wish, they prepared for another new addition.

WARNING: SIM BOOBIES ZOMG

I'm not sure why, buy I was always Dad's favorite. Sure, he said he didn't have favorites, that he loved us all equally, blah blah blah. But I knew he liked me best. That's why he made me the heir to our family's legacy, and not Ariel.

Ariel was the golden child. She was sooooo perfect. She was already proving that she'd be a great mother to the next generation by taking care of our new twin brothers, Casper and Blake.

But me, I hated babies! They were always crying and whining and it drove me nuts! But I did like playing with the older twins, Fabian and Wesley. They were pretty fun.

Ariel was also a perfect student. I swear, every afternoon she'd run off the bus and into the house excitedly waving around her A+ reports. What a nerd! It's not like Mom or Dad even had time to notice!

I had more important things to worry about than homework and tests. Like dating! Ariel had no interest in boys. What a weirdo. Me, I wanted to date as many boys as I possibly could. That gypsy and I were on a first-name basis before long, you bet.

Another thing about Ariel is that she was so neat and clean and tidy. Any time we went to a cafe or restaurant downtown all she did was clean up after other customers. HELLO! They have people who get paid to do that!

I didn't mind being untidy or even a bit dirty. And I loved getting all wet and slushy in the snow during winter—something Ariel would never do. That's okay. We didn't need her. She probably would've made our snowmen wear glasses or something just as geeky.

Fabian and Wesley were a lot like Ariel and me in some ways. Fabian was like me—he was really outgoing and loved getting attention. Wesley was kind of a loner, like Ariel, and would rather do his own thing than hang out with the rest of us.

Casper and Blake were following the same pattern. Blake was just the sweetest little thing, but Casper whined a lot. Like, ALL THE TIME. Ugh!

Mom never seemed to mind it, though. In her eyes, all of her kids were angels. And she really loved being a housewife. I don't know why. Raising a ton of whiny kids isn't my idea of a fun life, but whatever.

Okay, I guess Ariel and I did our fair share of whining, too, when we started getting pimples. YUCK! But really, I don't know why Ariel was so upset about it. It's not like she had any boyfriends to look pretty for. And her books sure didn't care what she looked like!

But I had a whole lot of someones to impress. Especially Brad McAuley. He was definitely the hottest boy I ever dated! And he was such a flirt!

He wasn't too smooth on the rink, though. While I was doing triple ollies or whatever they're called, he was landing flat on his butt again and again. Hah!

But I still let him kiss me at the end of our date. Well, okay, I let him do a bit more than that. I mean, he was SEXAYYYY!!!1!1!! Don't tell me you wouldn't hit that!

Not all of my dates were as cool. That Mercutio Monty guy? He was more interested in that stupid cow plant than me. Needless to say I never called him back. Come to think of it, I never actually saw him again after that. I wonder what happened to that guy?

Fabian was turning out to be quite the pimp, too, once he was old enough to actually know what a hormone was. He tried flirting with the maid all the time, but hello! Like she'd want anything to do with a fourteen-year-old!

After Ariel left for college and Mom started spending tons of time in her greenhouse, I was surrounded by testosterone every minute of the day. I didn't mind! Guys were way more fun than girls, anyway!

Though it wasn't always fun watching those monsters eat. I mean, I sure wasn't a neat freak like Ariel, but at least I could get my food from bowl to mouth without sending it flying all over the table!

And Casper and Blake just loved bugs. Gross! Any time they saw a roach on the sidewalk they were all over it, and they must've collected hundreds of butterflies in jars.

Even though I was a bit of a tomboy, I was still a girl at heart. I couldn't bear to watch those pretty butterflies just wither away in jars, so I always set them free. Casper and Blake got pretty mad at me for it, but oh well.

I loved all sorts of animals, really. Even the meanest stray dogs would warm up to me and let me rub their bellies. And Mom's cat, Abby, always slept on my bed.

My brothers and I did have one thing in common: our hate for homework! We were always struggling to get our assignments done at, like, midnight the day before it was due. Oops!

Somehow I graduated high school with good enough grades to get me into college. But I decided not to join Ariel at Sim State U.

Nope, it was La Fiesta Tech for me! Forget assignments and classes—the next four years would be full of parties, dating, and FUN!

The only thing I ever used the dorm computer for was to play video games and chat up hotties on MySpace. I never typed a word of any of my term papers. Why should I when I could get someone else to do them for me!

It was easy to convince them to do all of my work for me. I guess prancing around in my undies all the time helped. Guys were too busy staring at me to even realize what they were agreeing to do. I could've had them eating dog food if I wanted!

Since LFT was in the desert, I spent tons of time splashing around in the pool and basking in the sun. Maybe a bit too much. Whatever, tans are way cooler than UV protection!

Having water balloon fights was another great way to cool down in the summer heat. Too bad my roommates didn't always like having water balloons shoved in their faces. What party poopers!

Most of them had no concept of privacy, but luckily I had no concept of modesty. If those weirdos wanted to hang out in the bathroom of all places, I sure wasn't going to let it stop me from stripping down for a shower!

I got along with most of my roommates, except this one bitch who just did NOT like me. Normally I'm a very nice person, but I don't take shit from anyone! I made sure to shove her around at least once a day just so she knew not to mess with me.

It wasn't long before I'd dated a good chunk of the student body at La Fiesta Tech. I made it a point never to date anyone twice. Why should I, when there were so many cute boys to choose from?

I even dated a professor or two, but that was mostly just to boost my grade. Turns out older men can't handle their dates flirting with other guys. God! It's not like we were married!

One afternoon I was on my way out to the pool when I walked by THE HOTTEST GUY EVER. I could NOT believe my eyes when I realized it was Brad McAuley! Holy @#&$! Did he ever grow up!

He'd come to the dorm to see someone else, but you can bet it was my side he was glued to for the rest of the day. We swam and lounged by the pool until the sun went down, and that's when I really turned on the patented Genevieve Foxworth charm.

I might've been a serial dater, but I never went all the way with any of those guys. But Brad was irresistable. That messy red hair, those sparkling green eyes, those full lips...! Can you really blame me?

Even though I gave Brad my virginity, I wasn't about to settle down with him or anything. There were still tons of guys out there I hadn't dated! Once again I was a regular customer of that gypsy, though she wasn't always impressed with the small fees I paid her. Hasn't she ever heard of the term starving college student?

That old bat was smart, though. She gave me guys that were hardly even attracted to me (what, where they BLIND?) so I had to shell out even more money for some Love Potion #8.5. Oh well, at least it did the trick!

I started giving makeovers to earn a few bucks. Things didn't always go as planned, though. Whatever, the purple raccoon look is totally hot!

I had way better success getting tips for playing the guitar and drums. I was an art student, after all, and all those artsy talents are the same when it comes down to it. Really, I could've been the next Avril Lavigne, or someone!

After awhile my impromptu concerts earned me enough cash to go out to classy restaurants with classy friends and drink classy wine!

Of course I still did not-so-classy things in not-so-classy places, too.

Taking one of my professors to bed definitely wasn't classy, either, but it was nearing the end of my senior year and my grades weren't that great. What else could I do? Oh, sure, I guess I could've actually gone to classes and did assignments, but where's the fun in that?

Naturally, I passed with flying colors—a GPA of 3.9 to be exact. Which totally justified having a WICKED COOL GRAD PARTY! Fireworks, noisemakers, spiked punch, and everyone's favorite...

BUBBLE BONG! Even Ariel came to the party, and so did Brad. Neither of them are anywhere close to what you'd call party animals, but they got ten kinds of smashed with my expert help.

Brad was so far gone he wasn't even shy about getting it on in the hot tub! The hot sun, the hot water, and a few pairs of eyes furtively watching us... definitely the most exciting moment of my LIFE!

But all that fun had to come to an end sometime. The morning after the party I was packed and ready to go back, reluctantly, to Veronaville. I had to leave behind my carefree life of dating and parties and enter the world of adult responsibility. But you can bet I'd find a way to make it fun, somehow!

Generation Five: Part One

Mon, 19 Mar 2007 01:13:16 GMT

Last we left off, Jordan returned from college with his fiance, Amber, who Reid immediately pursued out of vengeance for his brother. Amber soon succumbed to Reid's seduction and the two had an affair until Amber became pregnant, and she made the decision to stay with Jordan. Reid, who had fallen in love with Amber, reluctantly agreed to keep quiet about the possibility that the baby could be his. After the wedding, Jordan, after too many toasts and with nudging from Reid, toyed with the dangerous cow plant, which soon devoured him. With his brother dead, Amber widowed, and the unborn baby fatherless, Reid stepped in to fill those roles, and finally felt that he'd won.

Wow, that was one long recap for a relatively short update. And here's an even shorter one!

With Jordan out of the way, it didn't take long for Amber's love for me to rekindle. Now it was my hand she was holding over the breakfast table, and my kisses that made her smile.

And it was my bed she slept in every night, cuddled close against me with our baby warm and safe between us.

Those nine months came to a quick end, and the baby I knew in my heart was mine was born. She had Amber's blonde hair and green eyes, but she had my pale skin—and that took care of any doubts either of us had that I was Ariel's father.

But Mom had no clue about my affair with Amber and that Ariel was mine. She cherished her granddaughter as the only part of her first son left in this world. Ariel brought so much light into Mom's life that I couldn't bear to tell her the truth.

Once Ariel was a toddler, Mom gleefully took on the tasks of teaching her to walk, talk, and potty, and she read books to her often. Anything to spend time with the little angel she loved so much.

But before she could get Ariel to take her first steps, Mom was forced to step out of this world and into the next. Though my eyes were dry after losing Dad and Jordan, Mom's death hit me like a punch in the stomach. Suddenly I hated myself for letting her die believing a lie.

There was nothing I could do now that would redeem that mistake, except to not let my anger and sadness get the better of me as it had in the past. But Ariel's sweet smiles and giggles were just what I needed to keep me in line.

Her little cherub face was looking more and more like Amber's each day, and she had my playful streak. But she never splashed around in puddles like I did—no, she inherited Mom's neatness, and for that I loved her even more.

As we adjusted to life without Mom, Amber happily discovered that she was pregnant again! But this time around, even without the stress of our affair and the question of paternity, her pregnancy was much harder. She was always tired, sore, and cranky.

Once Genevieve was born, I started to realize just why Amber had had such a tough time carrying her. If she was half as difficult in the womb as she was out, I'd be shocked that Amber even survived it!

And then there was Ariel, the sweet, serene child who played quietly with her toys and didn't bother anyone.

Ariel who did her chores with a smile and was always willing to help out wherever she could.

When Genevieve wailed all day and all night, it was hard not to wish that she was more like her sister. But I forced myself not to play favorites and to do to Genevieve what my father had done to me.

But Genevieve didn't improve much as time went on. It seemed she never stopped whining, even when a bowl of food was right in front of her!

She was always more interested in the cats' food, and in a flash could have the kitchen floor covered in kibble.

Still, I loved her, whiner and troublemaker that she was. She reminded me so much of myself that I couldn't help but have a soft spot in my heart for her. And she seemed to know it, and was all smiles whenever it was time to play or snuggle with Daddy.

As much as I loved my girls, I can't say I wasn't weary at the thought of another baby in the house when Amber turned up pregnant again. Amber was delighted, since she'd always wanted a big family, and Ariel was excited to be getting a new brother or sister.

But none of us were ready for two babies—twins boys we named Fabian and Wesley. The nursery was quickly redone in a blue sailor theme, but none of us could prepare ourselves quite as easily.

With a toddler still to potty train and two infants to take care of, Amber was often falling down exhausted by the end of the day, yet she refused to hire a nanny that would steal her "bonding time" with her children.

I was up every night for 3am feedings, even though I was now working as a starter for Veronaville's regional baseball team. Of course we didn't need the money I was earning, but it was my dream to be in the Hall of Fame someday. Balancing a family and a career was tough, but it was worth it.

It was much easier once Genevieve was old enough to take care of herself. Ariel's good influence taught Genevieve to be more independent, and she could now play quietly alongside Ariel after school instead of causing trouble and looking for attention.

The girls were great friends even though they were as different as night and day. While Ariel was as neat and orderly as her grandma had been, Genevieve was naturally sloppy... just like her dad.

When autumn came around and the leaves fell from the trees, Ariel diligently raked them into piles, which Genevieve soon playfully destroyed.

As the twins grew, so did their personalities. They were a lot alike, except, just like with the girls, there was one "easy" and one "difficult" child. Wesley was content to play with his toys all day, but Fabian often cried for attention.

But no matter how fussy Fabian was being, Amber kept calm and gave him a brave smile, as if he were a perfect prince. I was very impressed with how she handled raising two kids and two toddlers and still managed to take care of herself.

Soon Ariel was a teenager, though I wasn't sure if this was a good thing or not. On one hand, she'd be a huge help with the twins, but on the other, she would have worries about boys and pimples and algebra for us to contend with.

Early on it seemed that Ariel had a mind for money. Before she was old enough to get a job in town, she was making and selling lemonade on our front lawn to anyone who passed by. Even though she came from a wealthy family, she never passed up the opportunity to make a buck.

More birthdays came and went, and for each birthday cake we helped the twins blow out, Amber and I were grateful that we were that much closer to being bottle- and potty-free once again.

As Fabian and Wesley grew up side by side, they were two parts of a whole. They were much closer than Ariel and Genevieve were—and worlds closer than Jordan and I had ever been.

Watching the two of them whisper in their special twin language or run around the house playing cops and robbers, I envied the relationship they had that I never did with my brother.

Life was perfect. The kids were growing up beautifully, I was now the MVP of my team, and Amber was a contented housewife who'd just taken up gardening. We never had to comfort a screaming baby or change a stinking diaper again! So imagine my shock and horror when Amber admitted she wanted more children.

Of course, I loved Amber too much to crush her dream of having six children. Before long she was getting nauseous over breakfast, and we knew we had done it: she was pregnant once again.

Another lifetime ago, it seemed, I was reluctantly falling in love with the woman who was supposed to be the tool of my revenge, and she loved me even though she was marrying my brother. Now, we had four children, and another on the way, and our love had lasted and grown stronger after all this time. It definitely isn't where I ever thought I'd end up. But every time I looked at my family and the life I'd somehow made for myself... I knew I wouldn't have wanted to end up anywhere else.

Generation Four: Part Two

Fri, 09 Mar 2007 22:22:11 GMT

Previously on the Foxworth Legacy, Nadia gave birth to two sons, Jordan and Reid. A rivalry between them developed early when Adam favored his eldest son, but the brothers' relationship fell to pieces when Jordan stole Reid's girlfriend during their adolescence. Reid became an angry, dark young man, but when Nadia declared him the heir to the legacy, his spirits began to lift. Until Jordan returned from college with a beautiful fiancee...

My brother smiled as I welcomed his fiancee into the family with a hug that was tighter than it should've been. He smiled as if he'd forgotten everything that had happened between us... as if he actually trusted me. How could he be so naive?

Maybe he did suspect I would try something, because he made a grand show of marking his territory just about every afternoon on the living room couch. But that was Jordan—always the showoff.

They were sickeningly sweet at breakfast and dinner, too, holding hands and blowing each other kisses and ignoring the way I stared at Amber. To give the devil his due, Jordan had managed to snag the most gorgeous woman in Veronaville. But he wouldn't have her for long.

It wasn't long before Amber started staring at me, too. Couldn't blame her—I was clearly the better-looking brother. But more importantly, I was more her type. She needed someone exciting... and Jordan, the family man with the steady job, was anything but.

While Jordan was at work, I was the one Amber spent her days with. (I didn't need to work. I was the heir to the Foxworth fortune, after all.) We jammed in the music room, played long games of darts, and gossipped—and I was sure to mention how Jordan stabbed his own brother in the back once upon a time.

And over lunches she told me about her past, and what was troubling her in the present. Was she moving too fast with Jordan? Should she start a career before a family? Like a good brother-in-law, I listened with concern to the things she didn't even talk to Jordan about.

I was also her outlet for silly, childish fun, something Jordan was too busy being "an adult" to do.

When she started acting more shy and coy around me, I knew she was starting to see me in a different light. She was starting to see how much better I was than Jordan. My plan was working.

One hot, sunny summer afternoon, we were sitting on the bench in the backyard talking about everything and nothing, and I dared to put my arm around her shoulder. She didn't stop me, only smiled in that shy way.

And then, we were kissing. It didn't even take much effort on my part. She wanted me, so much that she ignored whatever voice might've been inside of her telling it was wrong, it was cheating on Jordan. But Jordan deserved what was coming to him.

It wasn't the last kiss that backyard patio would see, and every time we came together there, it was more passionate and more forceful as she surrendered to what she was feeling for me.

Then, unexpectedly, my father died. I can't say I was very upset over the loss, since he'd never been much of a father to lose. But I was disappointed that he wouldn't see his favorite son finally fall off that pedastal he'd always had him on.

Of course, Mom was completely devastated. One good thing I can say about my father is that he loved Mom very much, and he made her very happy. If I grieved, I grieved for her, not for him.

The only thing that made Mom smile now was Riley, the stray cat I'd rescued off the streets. It satisfied me to know something I did, and not Jordan, was cheering her up.

As for Jordan... of course he was upset over Dad's death. Dad had always treated him like a little prince. A big part of me enjoyed watching him cry.

Losing Dad reminded Jordan of the importance of family and he finally decided to apologize for stealing my girlfriend, and my little bit of spotlight, all those years ago.

I gave him as much as a smile as I could, even though I wanted to punch him in the face. Let him think I forgave him, and I loved him as a brother again. It would hurt him all the more once Amber was all mine.

I knew that day was coming soon when she came into my bedroom late in the night. She stared at me from the doorway as though she was afraid to come in. Jordan had changed since our father died, she said; he was deeply grieving and hardly looked at her now. And she needed someone who did see her, and did want her.

She closed the door behind her. We were drawn together like magnets until our hands and lips were roaming all over each other.

Clothes were ripped off, thrown to the floor. We fell down onto my bed, never speaking a word until it was over. And then she apologized, and quickly fled from the room.

I knew she went back to the bed she shared with Jordan, but only because she was obligated to. I knew from the way she'd looked at me, touched me, made love to me, that I was the one she wanted now.

We met quietly in my bedroom for weeks after, and each time we gazed at each other longer, deeper, until it was less about sex and more about... love. I had to admit to myself that I was in love with her, madly in love with her—and that wasn't part of the plan.

One evening I found her waiting for me, but there was something wrong. There was worry, not passion, in her eyes and even in her posture. My heart pounded, thinking Jordan had found out about us...

But in a broken voice she told me that Jordan had found out something else: she was pregnant. Naturally, he was thrilled and couldn't wait to be a father... and he had no idea that the baby might be mine.

Amber begged me not to tell Jordan about our affair, and that the baby might not be his. She still loved him. She still wanted to marry him. And she wanted him to be her baby's father. And though I knew the truth would absolutely kill him, and give me the revenge I'd wanted for so long... Amber would be hurt in the process, and I couldn't do that to her.

So I agreed to stand silently by as Amber and Jordan were married, and watch my brother get everything that I wanted, yet again.

I was seething with every kiss I had to witness between them. It was history repeating itself: Jordan with the woman that should've been mine. Why, why did he always have to win?

I ran to the only refuge I had: the mausoleum. There I could cry, growl, scream, thrash about in anger, and nobody but my dead relatives would hear me. How had everything gone so wrong? How did I end up as the one who's hurt? The portraits of my ancestors couldn't answer my questions. Nobody could.

Outside, the wedding party went on into the night. I could vaguely hear the music and the laughter from inside my stone grave. Everyone except me was enjoying themselves, appreciating life... what did I have to enjoy, or appreciate?

When I finally emerged from the mausoleum, I saw Jordan heading towards the strange plant Mom had acquired working as a rogue botanist. She'd warned us it could be dangerous, but Jordan had a bit too much wine to remember that. And I was too upset to care what could happen if he took that inviting piece of cake. In fact, I egged him on.

It happened so quickly that I couldn't have done anything to stop it—if I'd wanted to. The bulbous head of the plant flew down onto Jordan, and then he was gone. Just... gone.

The plant let out a belch as its udders began to swell, and I began to realize what happened. It ate Jordan! I couldn't stop a smile from spreading over my face. My brother, my enemy, my lifelong competition... he was dead.

Mom and Amber didn't share my elation, of course. I truly felt sorry for Mom, who'd lost so many people she loved in her lifetime. And Amber... her husband, dead, before they left for their honeymoon.

But she still had me. And I would love her—as soon as she was finished grieving for Jordan. And as I placed a hand on her swelling stomach and felt the baby kick, I promised her it would have a father, whether or not it truly was mine.

She slept in my bed that night, because she couldn't bear to be alone in hers. I knew she'd never go back to her own bed, Jordan's bed. She was mine now. Finally, finally... I'd won.

Generation Four: Part One

Fri, 02 Mar 2007 01:38:13 GMT

Last we left off, the Foxworth founders, Camille and Armando, both passed on. Recovering from her grief, Nadia left the Foxworth household to study mathematics at Sim State University, where she developed a romance with bartender Adam Graham. Upon graduating and returning home, Nadia and Adam continued seeing each other casually, until Nadia realized she was pregnant. Though she was afraid of what it would mean for her future, she worriedly told Adam that he was going to be a father.

And now, the real, full, complete update! Again, my apologies for last night's half-finished debacle. I promise I'm not usually as ditzy as I've been lately; it's been a strange couple of weeks!

To my utter shock, Adam's face broke out into a grin when I told him of our baby, and he immediately started talking of plans for our future. I couldn't believe he was willing to give up his freedom, his other girlfriends... but he told me they meant nothing to him now that we had a child on the way.

Adam moved in shortly after. Now that he didn't have to worry about paying rent, I urged him to quit his bartending job and to follow his aspiration of becoming an athlete. He soon found a position as a mascot for a local sports team.

The job allowed him a lot of free time, which he always spent with me, and with the baby safely growing inside of me. We spent hours discussing baby names and making plans for the nursery.

Before I knew it, those nine months were through and our baby became a reality! I gave birth to a healthy baby boy, whom we named Jordan.

Adam continued to surprise me by quickly becoming a doting, loving father. There was hardly a moment when the two were apart, and I rarely had to feed or bathe Jordan because Adam was always two steps ahead of me.

Jordan was also spoiled by his grandparents, who were thrilled to have a baby to fill their days and make them feel young again.

Mom and Dad were acting like newlyweds again, showing their affection for each other at every opportunity. It was endearing, and I wondered if—and hoped that—Adam and I would last as long.

Though I had worried that Adam would find monogamy impossible and stray to other women's beds, I doubt he ever did. He didn't even look at the voluptuous maid with lustful eyes; instead, he told her tales of the cute things Jordan did each day.

Jordan certainly was the light of Adam's life, especially as he grew older. Adam was the one who taught him how to walk and talk; he was there for cuddles and kisses the minute Jordan started crying.

Even so, I couldn't help but be surprised when Adam suggested we forego our usual precautions, and try to have another baby. Was this really the man I once thought would run from the responsibilities of a child?

Soon enough I was pregnant for the second time. Both Adam and I were thrilled once again with the promise of a new baby, and Jordan couldn't wait to meet his little brother or sister. Our family was thriving; life seemed perfect.

Until the horrible night when, against all odds, a satellite fell from the sky onto our very own front lawn. We rushed outside to see the satellite sparking and smoking, and a shadowy figure approaching it. That's when I remembered with a chill that Dad had been outside stargazing... and I realized he had been killed by the satellite.

Dad's death brought back painful memories of losing Grandma and Grandpa only a few years earlier, but this was much more difficult to endure. This was my father, the man who raised me. Worst of all, he'd never get to see his second grandchild, and the baby within me would never have a Grandpa.

But when one door closes, another opens, and the birth of my second son brightened our world once again. Reid was a beautiful baby, and would've made his grandfather very proud.

Once again, life seemed perfect. Adam and I had built a family of our own, with two wonderful boys who made our lives truly rich. But one afternoon when Jordan and I were playing and Adam had just fed Reid, he decided that our life wasn't perfect...

And he dropped down onto one knee and presented me with a glittering diamond ring!

Of course, I said yes, I would marry him! Jordan was just as excited as we were that his parents were going to be married, and though he was too young to understand, Reid smiled and laughed happily, too.

I had always doubted that Adam, a once free-spirited ladies' man, would ever make the final commitment of marriage, and now he was doing so with joy and happiness on his face than I could have expected. As he spoke his vows and placed his ring onto my finger, I knew, finally, that we would last.

After the wedding, time continued to pass and our boys continued to grow. Reid became quite the fussy toddler with a great temper. He cried often, and nothing held his attention for very long.

On the other hand, Jordan had always been so easy to please. He was content to amuse himself, whether it was with his many toys or by simply jumping on his bed.

He was also doing wonderfully in school, bringing home straight As since he'd started the first grade.

Once he began school himself, Reid wasn't as apt a student, and I had to lecture him to complete his homework on most nights.

Despite their differences, Jordan and Reid got along well with each other. Reid looked up to Jordan greatly, and wanted to be just like his big brother.

But Reid's mischievous personality couldn't be buried. While Jordan spent his afternoons doing his homework, reading, and practicing on the piano, Reid ignored his responsibilities to cause trouble wherever he went.

I couldn't help but wonder if Adam's favoritism towards Jordan was part of the problem. As Reid's behaviour worsened, Adam lectured him more often, while his affection was always reserved for his eldest son, his good son.

To make up for Reid's strained relationship with his father, I gave him all the love I could, though Jordan was never forsaken in the process. Though I became Reid's favorite parent, I believe he still resented me for keeping a place in my heart for Jordan, too.

Meanwhile, Mom had retired and left the running of Sugarqube to her most competent manager, though the business would always stay in the family. She was enjoying her free time very much, and was acting as playful as a child again.

However, she still missed Dad a great deal, and her youthful exuberance faded when it was time to climb into her empty bed. But I knew Dad was watching over her, and that he'd never truly be gone from our lives.

The boys simply adored their Grandma, who was more a friend to them than a grandmother. She was Reid's most favorite playmate, and she was the one Jordan went to with girl problems once he was a teenager.

Jordan was becoming more and more like his father every day. One look at the two of them eating a meal together was enough to assure anyone they were father and son.

Surprisingly, Reid often cleaned up after himself, and sometimes the rest of us, after eating. However, he chose the wrong responsible habit to adopt, since Adam, in his perpetual messiness, overlooked it completely.

Though Reid was very envious and resentful of his brother for being the apple of their father's eye, he still looked up to him very much, and as each birthday passed, I knew Reid was wishing to grow up to be like Jordan.

But it wasn't to be so. While Jordan continued to excel in school, Reid continued to struggle. Jordan enjoyed attending a prestigious private school, while Reid hated the "ugly" uniform and "stuffy" teachers.

Homework was a devilish chore for him, and often he went to bed with piles of assignments sitting untouched on his desk.

He was also becoming quite a dark and morbid person, spending far too much time in the family mausoleum for my liking.

Many nights he'd run back to the house looking pale and frightened, as though he'd seen a ghost, yet he kept going back to live amongst the dead.

Soon their number would grow, as it came time for Mom to leave this world and enter the next.

She didn't seem frightened or reluctant to go; in fact, she seemed relieved, happy to be joining the loved ones who had already passed: her own parents, my uncle Connor, and especially Dad.

Reid was devastated to lose his Grandma, his closest friend and greatest confidant in our household. I feared her death would only drive him further into himself.

As I had expected, Reid became more and more detached and hostile towards others. Though he could catch any girl's eye, he often ignored them as though they weren't worth the effort. That is, until Jordan showed interest in one of them.

Reid seemed to thrive on the competition, on the idea that he could win the girl. For that reason alone, I believe, he began flirting with Shannon.

When he cared enough to show it, Reid had a considerable amount of charm, and so it wasn't difficult for him to win Shannon's heart. She gave him his first kiss, and with it, his first victory over his brother.

But the victory, and the peace it had given Reid, was to be short-lived. In a single moment his newfound confidence was killed, and he retreated deeper into his cold, angry shell...

For he discovered that Shannon was giving her kisses to more than one Foxworth brother.

Reid and Jordan's friendship was shattered beyond repair. I was gravely disappointed in Jordan for his actions, but I couldn't be proud of Reid, either, for the hatred and violence he now had for his brother.

I hoped that once Jordan left for college, Reid's wounds would heal, but he only spiraled faster into delinquency. He snuck out of the house more times than I can count and returned late into the night smelling of liquor, tobacco, and a variety of women's perfumes.

He also decided not to go to college, despite my pleading for him to seek higher education. Instead of strengthening his mind and preparing for his future, Reid spent his late adolescence wallowing in cigarette smoke and drinking himself into a calmer state of mind.

Every day I tearfully wondered how I could've gone so wrong with my second son. There was only one way I knew to help his self-esteem, to give him a goal and motivate him to do something with his life. Both Reid and Adam were shocked when I announced that Reid would be the heir to the Foxworth legacy. But while Adam was disappointed with my decision, Reid seemed to brighten.

As he entered adulthood with the knowledge that he was the future of this family, a subtle change came over him. He was the gentler, kinder Reid he'd been as a child. He even rescued a stray kitten from the streets! I finally relaxed, and let myself believe he could grow to be a respectable man despite his unstable past.

And then, Jordan returned home from college, bringing a beautiful young woman with him—the woman he would marry. I warmly welcomed her into our family, though I felt a chill run through me when I noticed Reid watching from the shadows, and I knew what the strange glint in his eye meant. When had Reid ever not wanted what his brother had?

ETA: Also updated the family tree and profiles so you can see the boys' stats and get a better look at Reid as an adult (though it's not a flattering picture; he's much better-looking than that, trust me).

The Foxworth House

Tue, 20 Feb 2007 04:20:46 GMT

Since the Foxworth's new house received so many lovely compliments, I thought I'd show you more of it!

I'm also thinking of putting it up for download on MTS2, though I'll have to find out how to package it without moving the family out first. I'll also have to make a list of credits for all of the objects, which may be a daunting task.

I probably should've done that already to include with this post, because I'm sure I'll be asked where certain things are from, but for now I can give you a general idea. I believe most of the furniture is either Maxis or 4eversimfantasy.net. The wallpaper and object recolors in the kids' rooms are from simsquirts.com, and most of the kitchen and dining room sets are from holysimoly.com. I'll have a more in-depth list by next week.

Also, I must give a spoiler warning: these images will give away how many children Nadia has and what their genders are.

Generation Three: Part Two

Thu, 15 Feb 2007 02:48:56 GMT

Last we left off, Hannah and Benjamin welcomed three children into their family: Aurora, Darien, and Nadia. In between bottle feedings and diaper changes, Hannah continued to push Sugarqube up the corporate ladder, while Benjamin delved deeper into the criminal life. Hannah read her mother's memoirs against her wishes and learned of Consort Capp's obsession with Camille. Remembering the hungry looks he'd given her during her teenage years, and realizing he was starting to look at her daughters the same way, Hannah made the choice to protect her family by removing Consort from it... by any means necessary.

And now for a rather quick and boring chapter. I've played so far ahead in the game due to not having the internet for awhile, so instead of drawing out the next two chapters they'll be a bit condensed so I can catch up!

After Uncle Consort died, Mom started acting strangely. She was quieter than usual, and spent more time with Aurora, Darien, and me instead of working at Sugarqube so often.

Grandma was also playing with us a lot more, too, because she'd finally retired. It was great having both Mom and Grandma around so much!

Otherwise, everything was normal. Darien and I did everything together from reading to swimming to playing cops and robbers...

And Aurora was busy flirting with every boy she knew to pay much attention to us.

And Grandpa was still starting fires in the kitchen on a regular basis. It's a wonder our house never burned down.

One sad afternoon, everything changed. I heard strange, eerie music coming from Grandma and Grandpa's bedroom. When I got there, I could've sworn I saw a hooded figure and two hula dancers, but in a second they were gone. And Grandma was gone, too.

Grandpa took her death very hard, and often went into the mausoleum to cry. They'd been married for two hundred years, it seemed like, so I could imagine how empty he felt without her. I know I felt empty.

Grandpa made an extra effort to be loving and caring now that he was the only grandparent we had. I think he doted on me the most because I reminded him so much of Grandma.

Not too long after we lost Grandma, Grandpa left us, too, to join her in heaven. It seemed to me that he died of a broken heart. I hoped they were together again, but I still missed them and wished they were still with us.

As time went on, I kept having the feeling that they were still with us, looking over us and keeping us safe.

Once I was a teenager, I started to remind even myself of Grandma. I was serious-minded like she'd been, and resembled her more than Aurora and Darien did.

Speaking of my siblings, Aurora left for college just as I'd turned 13. Though I would need sisterly advice at that age, Aurora and I had never been close, so I wouldn't have learned much from her whether she was at home or away at school.

Darien was almost on his way to college, too, though he was only planning to go for the parties. All he cared about was having fun. Loving knowledge and the eternal quest for it, I couldn't understand his pleasure-seeking attitude. But we were still great friends despite our differences.

I loved working at Sugarqube with Mom—it helped me build skills I'd need one day soon. If I'd learned anything from the charisma and charm Dad used with his business clients, I knew that you had to have strong people skills to become a criminal mastermind—and someday, I would.

At home, I was just another neat-freak in a family full of neat-freaks—there was never a speck of dust or grime in our house!

After I finished my homework and chores, and did my daily studying on mechanics and logic, I let Darien drag me to clubs and cafes downtown. I have to admit, we always had a ton of fun.

Though I wasn't as focused on romance as Aurora, I still would've liked having a boyfriend. But the only handsome guy I met downtown was a bartender who was a bit too old for me. Nonetheless, we struck up a friendship, and he gave Darien and I free Cokes all the time.

Before I knew it I was graduating high school and applying to college. Just before I left, Mom and Dad told me how proud they were of me, and that they hoped I would continue the family line. I told them I would—but first, I'd have to get a degree and start my career.

Sim State University was set in a lovely college town with a grand library, a music hall, and a student center. I spent a lot of time at those places studying and working on research papers.

I tried making new friends whenever I could, but the other students weren't always eager to get to know me.

They were never afraid to take advantage of my 4.0 GPA, though. My tutoring kept several students from being put on academic probation.

There was one person, however, who wanted to spend time with me without an agenda: Adam Graham, the bartender who was no longer too old for me. He often came to my dorm after a shift at the Lulu Lounge to let loose and have fun.

It wasn't long before our friendship became something more.

By the end of my freshman year, Adam and I were spending nearly every weekend together, dancing the night away downtown or simply cuddling in front of the fountatin at the student center.

Eventually, we added my bedroom to our list of favorite places to be. I knew I wasn't Adam's first, but I didn't mind—in fact, I was glad to have someone to learn the art of love from.

When my relationship with Adam started to affect my grades, I had to slow things between us down and make my studies my first priority. Now my weekends were dedicated to assignments instead of to Adam.

We didn't stop seeing each other entirely. I still dropped by Lulu Lounge once a week to spend an hour with him during his shift, though I knew he had other girlfriends as well. Adam had never been the type of guy to settle down with just one woman.

I graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in mathematics, and moved back to Veronaville—but not back to the same house. Now that we were quite wealthy thanks to Mom's booming business, she and Dad decided to buy a bigger house to better fit the next generation of our family.

Adam started coming over to the house more and more often, and we always had a great time together, though I still couldn't make a commitment to him. I'd finished my college education, but now I was working on my career.

With my high level of skills and Dad's connections, I was able to enter Veronaville's crime ring at one of the highest ranks, as a smuggler. It wasn't long before I learned what I needed to about the city's underbelly to become a criminal mastermind.

Now that I had my life in order, it was time to make Adam a larger part of it. Aside from regularly dining downtown and catching the latest movie at the cinema, he was spending many nights in my bed.

Although things between Adam and I were going wonderfully, I was terrified of what our future held when I began having morning sickness, and I realized I was pregnant.

Mom and Dad were both thrilled to be expecting a grandchild, but I wasn't nearly as happy. Adam and I were barely even a serious couple, and he wasn't the sort to be tied down by a baby.

I kept my pregnancy a secret from Adam for as long as I could, but eventually, I had to tell him that he was going to be a father... and hope that the chains of this responsibility wouldn't drive him out of my life forever.

Generation Three: Part One

Wed, 24 Jan 2007 20:02:37 GMT

Last time on the Foxworth Legacy, Hannah and Connor went to college under Consort Capp's financing. While Connor pledged his heart early on to Karen Gonzaga, Hannah dated several boys until she fell in love with Benjamin Chun, and proposed to him during their senior year. Upon graduating and returning home, Hannah started her own business. Shortly thereafter, she and Benjamin married, and following the honeymoon Hannah was hit with a bout of nausea...

When my hangover continued for the next few weeks, I realized it couldn't be a hangover after all. I had to be pregnant!

Sure enough, I was soon too fat to fit into my pretty clothes, and had to start wearing maternity outfits. I also started reading up on pregnancy and childbirth, though eventually I wished I hadn't—those diagrams and photographs would give me nightmares for months!

I wasn't about to let a little thing like pregnancy stop me from going to Sugarqube every day to dazzle customers and make sales. The store even got a glowing review and received the Best of the Best award!

When I returned home from Bluewater Village, Benjamin was there to pamper me. Backrubs were an everyday treat, and we cuddled every night before going to sleep.

Exactly nine months after our honeymoon, I was woken up in the middle of the night by labor pains—the baby was on its way!

It was a girl! Aurora looked just like her daddy with her dark hair and gray eyes.

I absolutely loved cuddling and playing with Aurora, but the other aspects of motherhood? Not so much.

Luckily, Aurora had two wonderful grandparents to help take care of her. Mom, who'd always wanted a big family, was thrilled to have her first grandchild, and Dad loved having a new little princess to dote on.

Before I knew it, Aurora was starting to crawl and was even saying a few words. She was growing up so fast, and she was the spitting image of Benjamin.

With two live-in babysitters to look after Aurora, I was free to get back to work, and day by day my small shop grew into a very popular toy empire. Even the occasional fight between two customers who wanted the same limited-edition Water Wiggler didn't slow business down.

However, I did have to close up shop when I was hit with a fresh bout of nausea, and I knew what that meant: soon there'd be another baby in the house!

After a few months of throwing up, wearing maternity clothes, and waddling around the house, my second child came bursting into the world. This time it was a boy, with the same coloring as his sister; we named him Darien.

Raising a baby was much easier this time around since we knew just what to do, but Benjamin and I still had a lot of help from my parents as Darien grew up.

Darien was always after one of us to tickle him or read to him from his favorite fairytale books, and of course, we were always happy to oblige.

On the other hand, Aurora was becoming more and more independent as she got older. She was content to play all by herself without any interference from the grown-ups.

She didn't need her little brother as a playmate, either—in fact, instead of playing with Darien, Aurora teased him and often made him cry.

We tried to discipline her by giving her extra chores, but that was no use—she loved cleaning, just as Connor had when we were kids. The maid had hardly anything to do when Aurora took a sponge to every bit of dirt she saw!

I hoped that Aurora would take better to her new baby brother or sister. I spent most of my third pregnancy painting, and my masterpieces eventually sold for a pretty impressive price.

Meanwhile, Benjamin was slowly working his way up the ladder in Veronaville's crime ring. I didn't mind him breaking laws and committing crimes—bad boys were so sexy! Of course, we had to keep his career a secret from the kids, who were still learning the difference between right and wrong.

Mom was still the top bread-winner in the family, having not yet retired as CEO of Capp Commerce. She still hadn't published her book of memoirs, but reviewed and made changes to it almost every night. The only one who'd read the book so far was Dad; I wasn't even allowed to touch it.

Soon enough, our family grew again with the arrival of baby Nadia! Just like her big brother and sister, she had jet black hair and sparkling gray eyes.

Now that he was working night shifts, Benjamin was home during the day to take care of the baby. His reward? A face full of spit-up after every bottle.

Still, who could resist that sweet little face?

Nadia was a very docile toddler, always smiling, never crying for attention. As she grew older, she started to look a lot like I had at that age, though she didn't have the same playful streak that I'd had.

Darien was growing to be quite the serious child, too, even playing with his toys quietly in his room instead of scattering them all over the house like I once did.

Aurora hadn't gotten any more outgoing, and still preferred to be on her own. She could often be found pounding away on the piano while Darien and Nadia played together.

A few more birthdays saw Aurora becoming a teenager. All she could think about was boys, and although she was still very shy, her beauty was sure to win her a ton of boyfriends.

She was already catching the eyes of every man to cross her path, from the delivery man to the maid who'd once cleaned up her dirty diapers!

But there was one boy she didn't like, and never did. Aurora still picked on her little brother whenever she could, no matter how many times Benjamin and I chastised her for it.

She also loved helping out at Sugarqube on the weekends. She was winning over customers left, right, and center with her charm. I wonder who she inherited that from?

If only she could put so much effort into her homework, but she often ignored it to groove to the latest tunes on her mp3 player.

Darien, on the other hand, was bringing home straight A reports every day. Benjamin and I were so proud of him!

When Nadia was old enough to start school, she was just as great a student as her brother. She actually liked doing homework!

Nadia was a lot like her big sister, too, being a total neat freak. She made her bed cheerfully every morning, and always cleaned up after meals.

Nadia was much more outgoing, though, and had many friends. Her very best friend was her cousin, Jane, who came over almost every day to play cops and robbers. Nadia was always the robber, making me think Benjamin and I hadn't done such a great job at hiding what he did for a living after all.

Even though the kids didn't always get along, they put aside their differences to frolick in the sprinkler on the hottest summer days. Even Aurora could have fun with her brother and sister when there was water to splash around in!

When it came down to it, the five of us were a very close and loving family. I was so proud of Benjamin and I for raising three fantastic kids, and for being wonderful parents to them.

I was also proud of us for having such a loving and devoted marriage. After so many years together, our passion was still just as strong as it had been when we were in college.

As for Mom and Dad, they were still as in love as ever. I often found them in the bedroom dancing to 50s rock and roll, reminiscing about earlier days.

Eventually, my curiosity of those earlier days got the better of me, and I read Mom's book of memoirs against her wishes... and finally realized just why she hadn't wanted me to read it. I couldn't believe what Uncle Consort had tried to do all those years ago, before I was even born—and what he'd wanted from her in exchange for sending Connor and I to college!

I didn't want to believe any of it, but soon enough, I witnessed it for myself: in broad daylight, Uncle Consort grabbed Mom about the waist and tried to kiss her! She pushed him away, just as she had every other time he'd tried the same thing, so she said in her memoirs. Why wouldn't he give up?

I ran to my bedroom in horror, thinking of everything I'd just discovered, and seeing memories flash before my eyes of things I didn't understand back then, but understood all too well now...

Although Consort had always been a welcome visitor at our house, Mom wasn't always friendly and warm to him.

He sometimes did things that were inappropriate, like kiss her hand or give her a tight hug when leaving the house. I thought it fine for a friend to do... but was he ever really a friend, or did Mom only put up with him because he was her ticket to success in business?

Then I remembered the way he'd looked at me when I was a teenager. I felt a little uncomfortable with the way his eyes followed me around, but I never thought anything of it. After all, Consort had always been so sweet to me, and he'd known me since I was a baby!

Even when he stood by the pool to watch me swim, I didn't see anything wrong with it. Mom trusted him, so I did, too. But now that I knew the truth, Consort's actions seemed twisted and perverted, and made me feel sick to my stomach.

And now... now he was looking at my daughters the same way. Of course, they weren't bothered by it, and neither was I—but now I was terrified of what his gazes meant, and what he might do to my girls one day.

But I wouldn't let him do anything to them. Mom had put up with his strange behavior, but I didn't have to, not anymore. I had to protect my children, and my mother, and myself.

I stayed up very late waiting for Benjamin to get home from work, and when he did, I told him all I'd learned, and what I was afraid of happening if we didn't put a stop to it. Benjamin was now a smuggler, and often handled very illegal and dangerous substances—substances that we could use to our advantage.

A few days later, I invited Consort over to share a glass of wine in celebration of Sugarqube's success. But it wasn't only wine I served him...

In minutes he was clutching his chest and struggling to breathe. He collapsed to the floor as the forced heart attack ravaged him. After what seemed like hours, it was all over... he was dead. The sight and sound of his slow and painful death would haunt me for a long, long time... but knowing my family was safe was worth it.

A couple of notes...

I've changed my personal journal's name to imaginepageant. If you had vermilienne friended, there's no need to update your friends lists—everything switches over to the new name automatically. I'm just giving everyone a heads up in case you see imaginepageant around and wonder who on earth it is!

The family tree has been updated, along with profiles of the generation three kids, including Connor's! They're not technically supposed to be adults yet, but I aged them up so I could take the profile pictures. I'm amazed at how beautiful and unique his daughter, Jane, turned out... and perhaps her genes will circle back around in the legacy someday. ;)

I'd also like to acknowledge a very rude comment that was left anonymously for me recently:

"Maybe you could update within this lifetime? Geez."

If you have an issue with the time between my updates, please feel free to stop coming to this journal. Since you don't pay me for providing you with entertainment, I don't owe you anything, and you have no right to be upset that I haven't updated quick enough to satisfy you. I have something called a life, which prevents me from playing Sims enough to update more often; you, however, must not have much happening in your own life if you have nothing better to do than wait around for legacies to be updated, and to bitch at the writers for not keeping up to speed. I have a lot of fun playing Sims and writing my legacies, and it's people like you who ruin that fun for others. So from now on, keep your whining to yourself.

Generation Two: Part Two

Sat, 13 Jan 2007 21:15:31 GMT

Last time on the Foxworth Legacy, Armando moved into Camille's trailer, which they slowly expanded into a real house. The couple married, and Camille shortly after gave birth to twins Hannah and Connor. Armando became a stay-at-home dad while Camille raced up the business track. Consort Capp continued to be a family friend, even offering to pay for both Hannah and Connor's college education... though his second attempt at getting into Camille's pants proved his generosity came with an agenda.

College: a party girl's heaven! Of course, I would've preferred the more party-friendly La Fiesta Tech, but Uncle Consort insisted on the prestigious Academie Le Tour. Whatever—as long as it was a college, I was happy!

Connor was pretty excited, too, though he spent way too much time doing assignments and writing papers. Boooooring! Thanks to my good influence, though, he did manage to have a bit of fun.

And thanks to Connor's influence, I got enough studying done to pass my classes.

Like we'd always been, Connor and I were the best of friends at college. We ate meals together, studied together, did everything together.

Until Connor met this girl called Karen and started spending most of his time with her. Leave it up to my brother, the family man, to latch on to the first girl he dates and start planning their happily-ever-after.

I was on the dating scene too, of course, though I wasn't about to limit myself to just one guy! There was Mitch Indie...

Benjamin Chun...

And I was even flirting with one of my professors—hey, he was hot, so why not? It's not like I was sleeping with him for better grades or anything.

Aside from all the boys I was dating, I had a lot of friends, too. The dorm phone was always ringing off the hook for me, which made my roommates really pissy, but whatever. They were just jealous.

One of them had a particularly large stick up her bum. She was always sending me death glares and pushing me around, just because I played a few pranks on her. I mean, so what if everyone thought she farted that one time I sort of told them all that she did?

It was only a matter of time before the tension between us turned into an all-out brawl. Hair-pulling and bitch-slapping became a regular occurence in our dorm.

Soon enough Uncle Consort heard of the shenanigans and came over to lecture me. Fighting with girls and making out with boys was not respectable behavior, and he didn't want his reputation to be tarnished. He demanded I clean up my act—as if he owned me just for sending me to college!

I called Mom to tell her all about it, and she was just as annoyed by Uncle Consort as I was. But then, she never did like him very much, though she never told me why. All she said was to avoid him as best as I could. No problem!

Uncle Consort wouldn't have to worry about me dating around anymore, anyway—things between Benjamin and I were getting pretty serious, and in our junior year I gave him the privilege of being my one and only!

For our first anniversary, we went back to the cafe where we'd first met. Maybe slow dancing in a cafe is sort of strange, but romance has a way of blocking out the judgemental snickers of onlookers.

If our audience thought slow dancing was odd, their eyes must've popped out of their heads when I, the girlfriend, dropped to my knees to propose to him! Yes, I'm just that progressively modern!

Luckily, so was Benjamin, who didn't mind me doing "the man's job," and who said yes! I was so excited I jumped into his arms and nearly knocked him over in the process, but he didn't mind that, either. Did I bag a great guy or what?

After a celebratory cup of java, we headed back to my dorm and went straight to my bed for the very first time. Sure, I'd dated a lot of different guys, but I hadn't slept with any of them—I wanted to be popular, but not for that!

Now that I was truly in love and engaged to be married, I felt perfectly right in letting go of my virginity. And Benjamin was definitely worth waiting for!

In the morning, Connor burst into my room without knocking—how rude! He was shocked to see a guy in my bed and ready to kick ass in a protective brother sort of way, until Benjamin explained that he loved me and we were getting married. Connor couldn't be angry after that...

Since he, too, had been having an overnight guest lately. Benjamin wouldn't be the only new addition to the family, since Connor and Karen were engaged, too!

Finally came time to graduate, and with graduation came an awesome party! A bubble blower, a fruit punch keg, and fireworks made for a fabulous rooftop celebration. Now that's what college is all about!

After leaving Academie le Tour, I moved back home with Mom and Dad, who had expanded the house once again to make room for Benjamin, who would move in after the wedding, and the kids we'd soon be having.

Instead of getting a regular job, I decided to start my own business, and opened up my own store, Sugarqube Toys, in Bluewater Village. Uncle Consort, who owned a bunch of businesses himself, guided me through the process.

I was grateful to him, of course, but I did not appreciate him constantly trying to interfere with how I was running things. It was my business, and I didn't need his help!

I pitched sales, rung up transactions at the cash register, restocked merchandise, and kept the shop neat and tidy all on my own—I didn't need anyone's help!

Well, all right, Benjamin did lend a hand stocking every once in awhile, freeing me up to dazzle customers into making purchases.

And maybe Dad helped a little, since he was the one who made all the toys I sold.

Meanwhile, Mom had a lot of time on her hands now that she was the CEO of Capp Commerce and wasn't required at the office as often as before. She started writing a book of memoirs, though she wouldn't let me read them... yet.

Both Mom and Dad had welcomed Benjamin into the family with open arms, even if he and I did come to breakfast in our undies every now and then. I guess they understood how two young lovers could be, having once been young lovers themselves.

After a few months of planning and preparing, our wedding day arrived. Mom was insistant on us having an actual ceremony, since she and Dad couldn't afford one when they married. I felt like a princess amidst all the gorgeous decorations and in my lovely brocade dress!

Although I had a trillion friends, the only people I needed at my wedding were my family. It was a small wedding with a small audience, but I couldn't imagine it being any more beautiful than it was!

After the reception, a limo arrived to whisk Benjamin and I away to our honeymoon. And if we raised the roof at our wedding party, we shook the walls on our honeymoon!

The fun didn't last forever, though—the next morning I spent at least an hour bent over the toilet with the worst hangover I'd ever had. At least, I thought it was a hangover...

Generation Two: Part One

Wed, 03 Jan 2007 18:06:55 GMT

Last time on the Foxworth Legacy, Camille adjusted to life in her small trailer with very few possessions. She took a job in the business field, and coincidentally showed great aptitude for it, which earned her a few promotions. In the meantime she developed a friendship with mailman Armando Turner, which quickly blossomed into romance.

Armando soon moved into my modest trailer, deciding it was better to live on my owned land than in his rented apartment. We were even able to expand the trailer a bit with his savings. It was wonderful to have him there morning, noon, and night, making loneliness a thing of the past.

With my urging, Armando quit his mail delivery job to pursue his dream of becoming an athlete. He had to start at the bottom of the ladder by working as a mascot...

But my own success in business proved that starting small could lead to bigger things. I was continuing to move up in Capp Commerce, and was now an Executive.

After our long days at work, Armando and I cooled down by heating things up in the bedroom.

And that, of course, inevitably led to strong bouts of morning sickness and a slowly swelling belly... I was pregnant!

Although it was earlier than we'd planned on starting a family, both Armando and I were thrilled that there would soon be a baby in our lives. He doted on me all through my pregnancy, and not a day went by that he didn't rub my belly and talk to the child inside.

One afternoon he gave me the surprise of my life by dropping to one knee and holding out a beautiful engagement ring! Being the honorable man he was, he wanted us to be married before the baby arrived, so our family would be truly complete.

We didn't have much money to spend on a ceremony, and neither of us had family to invite, anyway, so we decided to marry in our living room, with no audience but our unborn baby.

But it wasn't going to stay ubnorn for long! Not long after our modest wedding, I awoke with labor pains, and I knew my first child was on its way!

He was beautiful, perfect in every way, with a caramel mixture of my and Armando's skintones, and light blue eyes. We'd chosen the name Connor for a boy, and it fit him wonderfully. But another pain in my stomach told me it wasn't over...

And soon a baby girl arrived to join her brother! Hannah was lighter in complexion but had the same crystalline eyes. Both twins had flaxen blonde hair that made them look like small angels.

We thought one baby would be hard work, and two had us completely overwhelmed. There were always bottles to be fed, diapers to be changed, and cries to silence with a cuddle and a lullaby.

We hired a nanny to care for the twins while Armando and I were at work, but she soon proved to be more trouble than help, as we came home many an afternoon to find rotting bottles and dirty dishes everywhere.

Besides neglecting housework, the nanny also neglected Connor and Hannah quite often to watch soap operas or read the newspaper. We quickly fired the incompetent nanny, and decided one of us would stay home to take care of the twins.

Since I was bringing in a bigger salary, Armando left his job to become a full-time dad. As the years swiftly passed and the twins grew into toddlers, he became an expert at handling Connor and Hannah, who always seemed to be getting into trouble in one way or another.

Hannah loved nothing more than to splash around in puddles she'd scooped out from the toilet. Nearly every day we'd find her in the bathroom soaked to the bone, but grinning from ear to ear.

Aside from her huge playful streak, Hannah was a precious little angel. She thrived on attention, and was never put to bed without tons of adoring kisses from Mommy or Daddy.

Connor was very attached to both Armando and I, and often followed us around the house, even crawling into our bedroom during the night to curiously watch us sleep.

Connor was much more serious than his sister, and had an attention span long enough to be taught to walk and talk without fussing.

While Armando spent his days raising our children, I spent mine forging further and further ahead in Capp Commerce. In record time I had become Vice President of the company, a position I'd never expected to be in when I first started working in the mailroom.

Between my growing salary and the generous bonuses I'd received, I was able to expand the trailer once again. Now it was a true house, and a constant reminder of how far I'd come since first arriving in Veronaville.

As the twins grew older and required less constant attention, Armando began crafting toys as a way to earn a bit of extra money.

Of course, with Hannah around, not all of Armando's creations were resold. She claimed one of every toy he made, and never tired of playing with them.

Connor, on the other hand, preferred more intellectual activies, and could often be found with his nose buried in a book or painting on his easel.

Though they looked very much alike and were as close as any two siblings could be, the differences between our twins were vast.

Hannah could make a game out of anything, even an empty bathtub...

While Connor delighted in cleaning anything he could take a soapy sponge to.

Yet their differences helped them grow and learn from each other. Connor loosened up by playing dollhouse with his sister, and Hannah often cleaned up after meals thanks to her brother's good influence.

They even pioneered a lemonade stand together, with Hannah's sweet charisma drawing in customers to buy the lemonade Connor had painstakingly made perfect. Their best customer was Mr. Capp, who often came by the house to discuss business with me, and always spent time playing with the twins. Though our relationship had a rocky start, Mr. Capp was now like the grandfather my children never had.

The years and the birthday parties seem to pass in the blink of an eye, until my babies were leaving their childhood behind and becoming teenagers.

Connor grew to be just as handsome as his father, and just as kind and honorable a man. Though he could've had any girl he wanted, he wasn't the sort of person to date many girls casually. He wanted to find one girl to settle down and start a family with someday.

Hannah, meanwhile, wanted as many friends as she could get, and never had enough. Her funloving nature and angelic looks quickly made her one of the most popular girls in her school.

At home, Hannah was never idle. The house was often pumping with music as she danced up a storm in the living room.

She had also taken a liking to making over her friends. She was always very creative and innovative, even if her friends didn't like the end result.

It was Hannah's vivaciousness and zest for life that made me want her to carry on the Foxworth name and bloodline. Not that I wasn't proud of Connor for being everything he was, but I wanted our legacy to be infused with Hannah's boldness and daring. Connor, being as serious-minded as he was, understood completely, while Hannah was excited to have the special honor of being the heir.

Thankfully, my decision didn't affect their relationship with each other. Though Hannah had tons of friends, no one would ever rank higher in her life than Connor. She sometimes showed her affection in unorthodox ways, but he always took her teasing with a smile.

Their weekends were spent letting loose and having fun downtown, though only after their homework was finished, upon Connor's insistance.

When Monday mornings rolled around to put an end to their partying, Hannah and Connor dressed in their crisp uniforms and boarded the bus to their private school, which they attended thanks to Mr. Capp's influence with the headmaster.

I owed so much to Mr. Capp. If it weren't for his guidance and his faith in me, I might still be working in the mailroom of Capp Commerce. Now I was the CEO of the company, chosen by Mr. Capp himself as his replacement following his retirement. Now I was the biggest rival of Foxworth Industries, and of Richard Henry Foxworth III, who had tossed me aside so long ago, and would never have another chance to know me, or his grandchildren.

Mr. Capp was twice the man my true father was. I invited him to dinner at least once a month, and he enjoyed spending time with my family, especially Hannah, who he'd taken a special liking to. She only had to mention once her dream of going to college, and Mr. Capp offered to fully fund not only her tuition, but Connor's as well.

In a rush of excitement, Hannah jumped up to give Mr. Capp a hug, but he respectfully bowed out of it. Hannah thanked him politely instead, and rushed off to tell Connor the great news.

However, when I thanked Mr. Capp myself, he didn't seem to mind a bit of physical contact between us, and eagerly took my hand to plant a kiss on top of it. I immediately felt uncomfortable, but a simple kiss on the hand seemed harmless, so I didn't pull away.

Mr. Capp took this as a green light to aim for more, and just as he had so many years ago, he leaned in to give me a more serious kiss. I pushed him away, reminding him I was a married woman and young enough to be his daughter—and that my children were in the next room. He relented, but there was a look in his eyes that told me he wasn't giving up.

Soon Hannah and Connor were leaving For Academie Le Tour, thanks to Mr. Capp. I couldn't help but fear that his generosity came at a price I would eventually have to pay...

P.S. For quick reference, profiles and a family tree. Although I'm not positive on Hannah and Connor's zodiac signs, since I forgot to write them down. Oops.

Generation One: Part One

Mon, 18 Dec 2006 00:42:23 GMT

Last time on the Foxworth Legacy... oh, wait, there wasn't a last time.

Camille Foxworth. The name was foreign to me, but it's who I chose to become. I was beginning a brand new life in Veronaville, without much to call my own, except my hope and faith for the future.

As soon as I moved into my tiny trailer, I scoured the morning's newspaper for job openings in town. There weren't many choices for someone with so few skills. The best I could find was a position as a mailroom technician in an office downtown. It was better than nothing!

There wasn't much to occupy myself with, except a few of my favorite worn-out books that I couldn't bear to pawn for money. But I didn't mind that I had so little now. I was grateful to have anything at all.

I also had a new notebook and ballpoint pen which I'd bought at a discount store. It would by my journal, the chronicle of my life. And I hoped it would motivate me to make that life worth writing about!

As for food, I had to live on cold cereal and ramen noodles until I could afford anything better. But I was used to living frugally—there were times when Mom and I couldn't afford much more than mac-n-cheese for weeks on end.

Since Mom had always been the one to cook that mac-n-cheese, I was left with zero cooking skills. My first few dinners in Veronaville ended up burnt, but I ate them anyway.

I couldn't afford a trailer big enough to fit a bathroom inside, so my shower and toilet were right on the back lawn. I was always nervous that someone would walk by and see me during those private moments, but luckily, no one did.

However, a few of my neighbors dropped by one morning to welcome me to the neighborhood. It was wonderful to be embraced by the community. Having a few friends would definitely make life in Veronaville more enjoyable.

But when I climbed into bed at night, I couldn't have felt more alone. I'd never slept in an empty house before—Mom had always been in the next room. Without her presence, I felt vulnerable and afraid.

But I had to put on a brave face when it came time to start my first shift as a mailroom technician. Almost everyone I met at the office asked if I was related to Richard Henry Foxworth III, the president of the company's greatest rival, Foxworth Industries. I told them I wasn't, wanting to avoid any influence, good or bad, the connection could have.

But it seemed I'd inherited some of my father's business savvy. While sorting the mail, a letter fell from an envelope, and I couldn't help but notice it was about Landgraab Enterprises buying Wrightway Toys. I alerted my supervisor to the opportunity to invest in stocks. The company took my advice, and there was an enormous payoff. My supervisor was so impressed that I was promoted to Executive Assistant!

The raise came in awfully handy when my first set of bills was delivered. It was the mailman's first trip to my modest trailer, though he didn't seem to notice how shabby it was when he shook my hand in welcome.

Once Armando and I started talking, it was hard to stop. He asked me all sorts of questions about myself, and I didn't feel uncomfortable answering them. Armando had a warm, kind aura that made me instinctively trust him. I knew we were going to become great friends.

Sure enough, we were soon talking up a storm at night whenever he had no mail to deliver to me and we missed out on our morning conversations, which often caused him to be late on the rest of his route.

Some mornings, I was still in my pajamas when he arrived, but he didn't mind. In fact, as time went on, and we became more and more comfortable with each other, Armando started to flirt with me!

After two months of friendship and innocent flirting, he finally asked me on a date. We went to the 50s diner downtown for hamburgers. He apologized for not being able to treat me to a posh restaurant, but I told him that I would've felt out of place anywhere fancier.

My simple earthiness only attracted him to me even more. By the end of dinner, we were holding hands across the table, and every time our eyes met my heart would flutter with excitement.

If it fluttered with just a look, it was near exploding when he selected a slow song on the jukebox and pulled me in close to dance. I hadn't expected to become involved with a man so quickly after moving to Veronaville, but I definitely was falling, fast and hard, for Armando.

And if his kisses meant anything, Armando was falling for me, too!

After that first date, things between Armando and I were very different. Instead of catching up on gossip when he delivered my mail, we were gazing into each other's eyes moonily and sharing tender kisses.

Of course, we also continued dating. We went to sidewalk cafes to perk up with lattes...

Shared lunches and dinners at inexpensive restaurants...

And made out anywhere and everywhere we could, despite the annoyed looks people gave us for our public displays.

My love life was going better than I'd ever hoped for, but I still had a lot of work to do on my career. Each night before a staff meeting I practiced my speech before my mirror, so that I could deliver it with the confidence and intelligence needed to move up the ladder.

Once again, that intrinsic Foxworth business savvy impressed my superiors, including the president of Capp Commerce himself, Consort Capp. He invited me to lunch after one staff meeting to further discuss my ideas for the company. I used all the charisma I had in me to tell him how much I had learned from the Capp Commerce, and how much I could give back to it.

Mr. Capp seemed engrossed with everything I said, and when I finished my pitch, he raised his glass in a toast, and announced he was promoting me to Field Sales Representative!

He also told me to take the rest of the afternoon off, and offered to give me a lift home. When we arrived at my trailer, Mr. Capp more or less invited himself inside, and I couldn't very well refuse. After surveying my small home, he turned his eyes to me, and before I knew what was happening, he was reaching out with a wrinkled hand to caress my face.

So the office gossip was true: Mr. Capp had a thing for young, fresh blondes. I was so naive to think he'd been impressed with my mind for business! It wasn't my mind he liked! Uncomfortable, and a little frightened, I shied away from him, and suggested it was time he got back to the office.

As I watched him leave, I wondered if I'd just made a horrible mistake. Now that he hadn't gotten what he clearly wanted from me, he could take that promotion away... or even fire me. But being unemployed was better than being a glorified prostitute!

I arrived at the office the next day expecting to pack up my desk, but instead, I was congratulated for the promotion and briefed on the new projects I would handle. I wasn't fired! I was now a Field Sales Representative, with my own private cubicle, a new sleek suit, and a posh carpool!

That night, I invited Armando over to celebrate with a bottle of expensive wine I splurged a good portion of my bonus on. I deserved a treat after the hurdles I'd jumped to get to where I was!

Armando toasted to me, and told me how proud he was of me for coming so far. And then, for the first time... he told me he loved me.

In a rush of excitement I told him I loved him, too, and virtually attacked him with kisses. They were more passionate this time than ever before, and I knew exactly where they were leading.

Within minutes we were in my bed, our clothes tossed to the floor, and Armando made love to me with the sort of manly fervor I'd never known before.

There had been men before Armando, men I had known in Pleasantview, who were now a part of my past. But as he slipped his arms around me and nuzzled into my hair, I knew that Armando was my future.

And a note: this journal will be strictly for updates, because to be honest, I can't be bothered to login here every time I want to talk about the legacy. So, if you're interested in seeing any rants or raves related to the Foxworths, drop me a comment at imaginepageant and I'll add you to my Sims filter there!

Oh, and another note: if you're wondering why all the lovely custom furniture was replaced by icky Maxis furniture halfway through, it's because I installed OFB and was having issues with objects showing up in the buy catalogue. I eventually fixed it, so expect everything to change back to custom furniture halfway through the next update. ^_^;

Family Tree and Profiles

Wed, 13 Dec 2006 03:51:54 GMT

Prologue

Wed, 13 Dec 2006 01:19:21 GMT

From the creators of the Mayfair Legacy comes a brand new legacy... a legacy with more drama, more scandal, and more suspense than ever before. And this time...

We're playing by the rules.

Camille White stood upon the barren expanse of land she had recently bought. It was the first home that was truly hers, even though it wasn't much to be proud of yet. This was the beginning of her life... though it had taken several endings to get her here.

For long months she'd been by her mother's bedside in Pleasantview Memorial Hospital, praying for her to survive the cancer. Camille had just turned eighteen and had graduated high school, though college would be a financial impossibility. She didn't care. All she wanted was for her mother to be healthy again.

Eventually, they both had to accept that Lucy's life was coming to a close. And so, she finally gave her daughter the truth she'd hidden for eighteen years: the identity of her father. Richard Henry Foxworth III, the wealthiest and most powerful businessman in Veronaville. Camille had been conceived during a single night that Richard would later deny ever happened. He didn't need an illegitimate child with a poor waitress marring his reputation. But, Lucy impressed upon Camille during her last days alive... Richard was all she had left.

It seemed Camille's tears would never end once her mother was dead and buried. She'd been Camille's rock, her best friend, her confidant... the only person in the world who loved her. Where would she turn now? How would she survive with no money, no skills, no hope for a future at all?

She had no choice but to find the father she'd never known; a father who'd never wanted her. The father she'd yearned for all of her life; the father she'd wished she'd had every time she saw other little girls basking in the warm love of their daddies. Each minute of the bus ride to Veronaville found her ever more nervous and anxious, even as she crafted the speech she would deliver to earn his compassion and sympathy, if not his love.

But the moment Richard Henry Foxworth III realized exactly who this young lady was, it became clear she would never win his love. He didn't need this stain on the fabric of his life any more now than he did eighteen years earlier. He had a wife, and a family of his own; he couldn't have this poor, uneducated girl ruining all of that. Camille hadn't been prepared for how much this rejection would hurt, and oh, did it hurt.

She pleaded with him, begged him to reconsider. She needed him. She had no one else to turn to, nowhere else to go. And so, the business tycoon tried to solve this problem as he did any other: he threw money at it. He wrote Camille a check for $20,000. All she had to do was disappear from his life, and forget he existed.

Once he stormed out of his modern office, Camille broke down into tears. Money. She didn't want money! Money solved nothing! She needed family; she needed someone to care for her and love her. She needed a father! But she knew there would never be a place for her in his life. And she tried to tell herself that it was his loss, not hers.

She looked back at the cold building with a new bitterness in her heart. She didn't need him. She'd survived this long without him, after all. But one day, he would regret throwing away the daughter he thought an embarassment. One day, she would be somebody to be proud of. And he would know it, for she would bear his name from here on in. It would be a constant reminder to her of how important family was; and someday, it would remind Richard Henry Foxworth III of what he lost.

In this day and age, $20,000 did not go very far. But it was enough for Camille to buy a plot of land in the countryside of Veronaville, and to build on it a small trailer that would be her home. And so began her new life as Camille Foxworth, a woman without a family, or an education, or very much money. But she had faith in herself, and a strong determination to survive. And that was enough... for now.