Color is all that matters to Berry Sims. Passing on color, showing off color, being colorful...it all revolves around color. The two ends of the spectrum – White and Black – are treated so very different. The paler and whiter a Berry is, the more respect that Berry has. White and pale colors are seen as the most generous of Berries, for they reflect back all, or almost all, colors. It's easier to mix colors with White or Pale Berries.
Black, on the other hand, is cursed. Seen as selfish for not reflecting any colors, it was the most undesirable color. Anyone with black in their color wheel was called Soiled. For that was what they were: soiled. Impure. Ruined.
One such Sim was Ebony Crush. Born a Soiled, she knew from an early age that her life would not matter to those who existed in the world around her. Outside of her family, that is. Her family loved her and cared for her her. It was only within the confines of her parents' home that she truly felt safe. As one of five kids, there was always enough love to go around.
Her father was Pomegranate Crush, the first openly Pro-Soil Councilman in Twix Brook. Though none of the laws he managed to get signed while on the bench truly helped the few Soileds in the community, it would always be seen as the first step.
“Baby steps,” he'd say, “are how we'll win this. I know it doesn't seem like a lot now, but we are placing the foundation. When people look back at the advancement of Soileds, they will say that it started here.”
His two major laws were partial voting rights for non-Berry Sims and an anti-discrimination act in favor of the non-Soiled Berry family and friends of Soiled Berries. As Pomegranate said, it was the first step. The Crush family knew what he was trying to do. Obsidian Crush, Ebony's eldest brother, knew the most. He planned on getting into politics, but his skin color prevented him from taking any real position. Instead, he started his career in the Pro-Soil offices, working behind the scenes for half of what a real Berry would make. It was the best he could do until the laws could be changed.
Ebony's mother, Pepper, was a Soiled. In fact, besides Ebony and Obsidian, she was the only famous Soiled in all of Twix Brook. The three of them were in the public eye because it was Pepper who started the march toward acceptance. Instead of staying hidden and accepting the abuse heaped upon her by the Council, she made a stand. Her parents joined the Anti-Soil Society, or A.🐸🐸🐸🐸., before Ebony was born. She never met her grandparents, but Obsidian had.
Life in Twix Brook became increasingly harder as Ebony grew up. School was the worst, but only because it dominated most of her young life. Ebony, being a Soiled, was set aside from the other students. Until he graduated, Obsidian and Ebony were in the same class. Sometimes, if other students were too wild or considered too dumb, they were placed in that class, but it was mostly only the Soileds. At a young age, Ebony knew she was not learning everything she needed to know to become a productive member of society. She'd often “borrow” her brothers' homework and study from them to better herself.
Adding fuel to her fire was the fact that her teachers seemed to enjoy lingering over how Soileds were once treated in every sickening detail. Her dad had to call the school after Ebony was told to write an essay on the best method of torture used against Soileds during the Drupe Crusades. It gave her nightmares for months.
Around town, fun things open to other kids were closed to the whole Crush family. In fact, certain activities meant she had to hold a membership card to A.🐸🐸🐸🐸 if she wanted to get in, and that was never going to happen. While signs stating, “No Soileds Allowed” had popped up during Pepper's time, they multiplied now that there were young Soileds running around. And young Soileds grew up to be adults who could breed. Ebony learned early that life wasn't fair. She couldn't eat at certain restaurants, play in the parks, or go swimming. All because of the color of her skin.
Things got scary just before Obsidian graduated. He and Pomegranate were at a Pro-Soil rally. Nothing illegal, just a gathering to talk about the rights of Soileds. But, the A.🐸🐸🐸🐸 didn't like the idea. As Pomegranate and Obsidian were leaving the rally, a gunshot rang out. Just one, and the person was an excellent shot.
“We need an ambulance! Hurry!” Pomegranate screamed as he clutched Obsidian. The bullet had torn through the teenager's shoulder, nearly missing his lung and neck, but did nick a few important veins. The shock, however, knocked Obsidian unconscious and he was losing a lot of blood.
He survived, but was in the hospital for months. Obsidian never got to graduate with his class. He had to take online courses to complete his GED while he was hospitalized, even though he only missed two weeks of classes. Of course, University was out of the question. None of them had repealed their laws on Soileds in so long, and none were willing to do so now. He never got a degree, and the family knew that finding a job would be hard. His connections with the Pro-Soiled Movement helped him secure a job, but it was barely enough.
Obsidian met and married a lovely woman while working in the political offices. As far as sister-in-laws went, Blueberry Lace wasn't the worst. She made Obsidian happy, and that was what was important. Ebony felt that her sister-in-law wasn't very outgoing and kept to herself, never really mingling with the family. She was the quiet evenings to Obsidian's unstoppable energy.
Sable never married. She moved out and rarely spoke to her family while she searched for herself as an artist. She was always torn between family loyalty and the desire to be accepted. It hurt her parents, but they understood. There is always one like that in every family.
Jet and Licorice married out of high school. Their wives were also big in the Pro-Soil Movement, which was a must. There was no such thing as neutral when it came to the topic of Soileds. If one tried to remain neutral, then one side would think you were for the other.
Ebony didn't marry. It wasn't allowed. Not by any law, since it was proven that Soileds could marry, but by order of her job. She had to sell her soul to get the position she wanted, and forever felt trapped by that decision. In order to go into science and prove that Soileds were just ordinary Berries, she was forced to be part of the experiment, and no one could marry the experiment.
Chapter One: It's a hard life
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“Berry! Not again!”
Ebony Crush glared at her computer, willing the results to change. Around her, the scientists assigned to the Soiled Project stopped what they were doing and stared at her. That cry meant something had gone wrong with their data.
Again.
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“What is it this time?” A quiet, slightly accented voice asked. Ebony glanced over at the other computer, at her coworker, Marlot Brodiaea. He was from a small village in Chedder Le Sims whose work on genetics made him a candidate for the Soiled Project.
“Someone messed with my samples again,” Ebony said. “I know this isn't from Obsidian.”
“How can you tell?”
“For one thing, there is no way in the dark pits my brother is pregnant.” Ebony pushed her white hair out of her eyes. “And for another, I ran a DNA sequence on all the samples. They're all from the same person. My original samples are missing.”
“Maybe you misplaced them?”
That earned him one of Ebony's patented glares. “Do you really think I'd misplace all my samples? Especially after the last time someone tampered with them?”
Marlot shrugged. “Maybe, if you are not getting the results you want.”
Ebony gasped, her hands curling into fists. “I am not the kind of person to tamper with the results, whether or not they are what I want. This is too important to me.”
“I am sure you know what kind of results the Soiled Project wants,” Marlot said. “They are funded by the Anti-Soil Society. What you want and what they want are not on the same level.”
“I don't care what the A.🐸🐸🐸🐸 wants. I'm interested in honest results.”
Marlot shrugged again. “Maybe it's the A.🐸🐸🐸🐸 that don't want you to get any results?”
Ebony had thought about that. It was the most logical answer. Someone was tampering with her samples. She suspected that the A.🐸🐸🐸🐸 had a spy in the lab all along. In fact, she was sure she knew who the spy was.
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“I assure you, the A.🐸🐸🐸🐸 is also interested in the results. We may just not print them if we don't like what they say.” Speak of the devil. Ebony felt her lip curl with disgust as Nutmeg Plains walked over to her desk.
The Plains family had been a thorn in the side of the Crush family for years. Nutmeg's father, Copper, ran the A.🐸🐸🐸🐸 and worked against everything Ebony's father, Pomegranate, pushed forward. If Copper had his way, Ebony would have been killed at birth. They were the same age, but their lives were very different. Nutmeg got the best education and actually picked this project. Ebony was lucky to graduate and had to jump through hoops and promise to be a lab rat to get the job of her dreams.
“So, if my results are that the gene that causes a Berry to be born a Soiled exists, the A.🐸🐸🐸🐸 would be happy with that,” scoffed Ebony.
“Yes. I don't understand your hostility, Ms Crush. We've done everything to help you along. Just because we're banking on it being a mutation doesn't mean we want you to fail.”
“Then who is messing with my samples?”
“I don't know. I'm afraid you'll either have to get more samples or...” He smiled coyly. “Try Plan B.”
“Out of the question!”
Plan B was not an option for Ebony. It meant having babies and allowing the lab to experiment on them. Especially if her kids were Soiled. There was no way she'd ever allow that.
“Ms Crush, I know you think we plan on cutting up any child you have, but I assure you, that's not true. Blood tests and observation only.”
“The answer is still no.” Ebony stood up. “If you don't mind, I have more samples to collect.”
She left the lab. Behind her, she could hear Marlot's soft voice, “I think you...how do you say?...stepped in that one.”
“Plan B may be her only option. She just needs to realize that!” Nutmeg's voice rose at the end, giving Ebony the feeling he knew she could still hear him. Fuming, she drove to her home. It was also provided by the lab, and filled with cameras to watch her every move. Though they said there were none in the bathrooms, she wouldn't put that by them.
The home was everything her childhood home was not. Instead of warm and inviting, it felt cold and sterile. Even her chosen colors were frigid: white, black, ice blue and teal. It was like walking into a tundra daily. She missed the cheery reds and grays of her parents' home. Most of her siblings got yellow as a chosen color. That would have perked her home up.
Sighing, she waved half-heartedly at the camera by the door and walked in. After kicking off her shoes, she grabbed her phone and dialed Obsidian's number. Of all her family, he would understand her the most.
“What's up, Ebony?”
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“They ruined my samples again. I don't know who is doing it, but someone swapped out all my samples. I have to start all over again!”
Obsidian sighed. “I tried to warn you, Ebs. That lab is in the back pocket of the A.🐸🐸🐸🐸. Nothing you do will ever be good enough for them.”
“I know. I just wish they'd leave me alone. I don't care if they never publish my findings. I just need to know.”
“Mom and dad are worried about you, Ebs. You're working right in the hands of the A.🐸🐸🐸🐸. Need I remind you they tried to kill me? What if you find out that Soileds are just as natural as Berries? They can kill you over that.”
Ebony heaved a sigh. “Obsidian, I'm sorry to say, but I believe they'll kill me no matter what. If I have the results they want, I'm dead. If my results prove my point, I'm dead. I went into this knowing I won't make it out alive.”
“I want you to be careful. Please, sis. You're putting your life in danger.”
“I'll be careful. I'm coming over tomorrow for more samples.”
“See you then.”
It was always good to talk to Obsidian. He understood her better than anyone. In some ways, Ebony envied her older brother. He was on the outside, working in a job he loved and was not a lab rat. He was married to a colorful Berry who loved him for who he was and not for the colors he might or might not produce. He lived a life she knew would never be hers.
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Heading up to her room, she passed the one room in her house that she knew was utterly useless: the nursery. She'd never agree to Plan B, never wish this life on her kids. It was stupid to have a nursery in the house.
But, on some days, she wished for kids.
For the first time in a long time, Ebony was struck speechless. She had gotten up that morning with the plan to head to the lab and work on her new samples, but was greeted at the door by a Nutmeg and a group of men. Barely dressed and with no coffee in her system, she was forced to allow the men into her home, all because they were high members of the science community.
And members of the A.🐸🐸🐸🐸, she was positive. Most of them could barely stand to be in the same room as her. Other than Nutmeg, the members of the science community lingered in her hallway. It was almost comical the way they tried to not touch anything colored black.
“To what do I owe the honor,” asked Ebony.
Well, we've done some talking, Ms Crush, and we have decided to go ahead with Plan B.”
“I said no.”
Nutmeg sighed. “It's not up for debate, Ms Crush.”
“Exactly what does that mean?”
“It means,” piped in one of the men, “that you will go through with Plan B.”
Ebony frowned. “And if I refuse?”
“Then we will have you arrested for breach of contract,” the man said. “You are contractually obligated to follow the rules and whims of the community in charge of the Soiled Project. To refuse so will result in you spending the rest of your life behind bars.”
Ebony weighed her options. Children raised in captivity and used as science experiments, or jailed and possibly killed. Neither appealed to her.
The man scoffed to one of his companions. “See, what did I tell you? Lazy and stupid, the lot of them. She had no desire to honor the contract.”
“I know. I've heard about her mother. Just laying around the house and doing nothing. You know she doesn't work.”
Nutmeg cleared his throat. “Gentlemen, if you don't mind. I believe I can explain this to her better in private.”
The men grumbled, but they moved to linger in the kitchen. Ebony eyed Nutmeg, a conflicted feeling of anger and gratitude coming over her.
“I can promise you, Ms Crush, I...we will make this as comfortable as possible for you. And I will do all in my power to make sure your future kids are taken care of and not mistreated.”
“And how will this work? There was no details on Plan B beyond I have kids and use them as living samples,” Ebony said. “Are you going to trick some poor guy into sleeping with me? Or will I have a choice in the man who will father my kids?”
“We will be using a donor,” Nutmeg explained. “When we started the Soiled Project, I went through and found a few donors in case it came to this.”
“Seriously? I'm having kids with a chicken baster? Do I get to pick which chicken baster?”
Nutmeg smiled. “I hope you don't mind, but I did bring the profile of the one I think would suit you best. If you disagree, I can bring the other profiles and have you look at them. One of them will be your child's father.”
He took a folded piece of paper and handed it to her. She sat there, reading over the mysterious person that Nutmeg felt would be a good father. Most of the information was what she thought it would be: a colorful Berry male from a good home with a good education, he has a good job, but it didn't say what he did. His genetic make up consisted of no known Soiled bloodline, which she expected. What she hadn't expected was a note at the bottom.
“Dear Future-Mother-of-my-Children: I understand that any child you bear could be a Soiled. I also understand that, for the sake of privacy, you and I will never meet. However, I was raised with the belief that a man takes care of his kids. In that vein, if it is my kids you have, I will do my best to care and provide for them.”
Ebony looked up at Nutmeg. “So, this guy...is he a good guy?”
“What do you mean?”
He makes a promise here. Will he honor that promise if my kids are Soiled?”
Nutmeg took the paper back and seemed to think things over. “I believe so. He's a very honorable Berry.”
She rubbed her temples, trying to fight off the headache that was forming. “And when do they want Plan B to be put into effect?”
“Today. Right now. They have a lab on stand-by at the hospital.”
“And what if I didn't want this guy as the father? What if I wanted to look at the other donors?”
Nutmeg shrugged. “How long could that possibly take? Beyond deciding what color you like best, they are all pretty much the same. All of them came from good homes. All of them had a good education. All of them excelled in something. You're not picking a mate, just some genes to create a baby.”
“Maybe I might have to take a day or two to figure out what genes would make a healthy and productive baby,” Ebony snarled. “I'm not picking out shampoo or a new dress! You're forcing me to have a child so you and those monsters can examine him under a microscope! You're taking away any future my children will have in the name of science! Why don't you donate your kids?”
“When I have kids, Ms Crush, maybe I will. Until that time, it's you who signed the contract.”
“Are you two done?” The man from the science community looked in on them. “We'd like to hurry this along. Some of us have jobs to get to.” That last bit was aimed at Ebony. She bristled, but bit her tongue.
“I think we came to a conclusion,” Nutmeg said.
“I have one last question. What colors is this man? I want to know what colors my future kids might have.”
Nutmeg looked back at the paper. “Blue, I believe. I think this one had the main color of blue.”
Ebony was driven to the hospital. The car ride was quiet, as she had nothing to say to Nutmeg and he, apparently, had nothing to say to her. He hadn't been kidding when he said they had a room ready to go. She was whisked away from the car and tossed into a flimsy paper gown.
“We're going with Donor One,” Nutmeg said.
The doctor opened a canister and pulled out a vial of liquid. Ebony watched, feeling scared, as he prepped to inject her with the liquid.
“I'm starting to have second thoughts,” she said. “Can we reschedule.”
The doctor, a bright red Berry, looked her way as he flicked his finger against the syringe. “Hold her down,” he said.
Two strong nurses gripped Ebony's arms and another two got her legs. She struggled, but they kept her from moving too much. She screamed as the needle entered her. How the doctor knew where to inject, or if she was even fertile at the time, Ebony didn't know. Possibly, with the cameras, they were tracking her fertility? Or the doctor didn't care.
“We will have to observe you for the next few days to make sure this takes,” the doctor said. “We only have two more samples from Donor One. After that, you will have to pick someone else.”
“I'm sure this will take,” Nutmeg said. “Her family is very fertile.”
Ebony was taken to a private room where she stayed for a few days until she tested as pregnant. Then they sent her home with a thick stack of instructions. Her family congratulated her on her pregnancy, careful to not mention the fact she was basically blackmailed into it.
“Berry, Mom, I'm scared,” Ebony confided. “What if I have twins? What if both are Soiled? What if I never get to see my babies?”
“Everything will work out,” Pepper said. “I know it seems helpless now, but we have to have faith. There were times I feared they'd take your siblings away from me.”
But none of us were born into a science experiment.”
Pepper hugged her youngest daughter. “Everything will work out,” she repeated. “You'll see.”
Not two days after talking to her mom, Ebony's life changed again. The home she had been assigned to caught fire. Despite the cameras at every angle, no one was accused of the crime. Ebony, luckily, got out of the house in time. She had been near the back door when the bottles of Molotov cocktails came flying in the front windows.
The science community immediately moved her to a small home by the smelly Twix Brook River. It was a stench she had long thought escaped, one that reminded her of her childhood as her mom could only afford a small home by the river, as well. To her horror, the house only had one bedroom.
“What about my kids,” she complained to Nutmeg. “I don't have room for them.”
“For one thing, we don't know if you're having multiples or not,” said Nutmeg. “For another, we can always build on the house. After all, that's what your family did.”
“We also started off with a second bedroom,” Ebony said.
“You have a balcony that is the same space as a small room,” Nutmeg explained. “We can fix that up into a spare room when the kid or kids gets older.”
“And school? What about school?”
“They will go to a private school, provided they are not Soiled. Any Soiled child will have a tutor here at the house.”
Ebony did not like that idea. It was just a disaster waiting to happen. No matter what, one child would hate the other for such options. She had heard of it happening with her mom and Aunt Vanilla. Her mom was envious of her aunt for getting to go to school and make friends, and her aunt was envious of her mom for staying home. She did not want that for her kids.
“I can't accept that. Either all my kids, Soiled or not, stay with a tutor or they go to school. I will not have any child think I'm favoring the other.”
Nutmeg thought it over. “Well, it will be easier to keep an eye on them if they stay here with a tutor. I'll put in the request.”
“Thank you, Nutmeg.”
Nutmeg was not the only person to visit Ebony as she settled into her new home. Merlot made a surprise visit.
“I just wanted to see how your new home was turning out,” he said. He stood awkwardly in her tiny living room, hands in his pockets.
Ebony waved her hand around the house. “As you can see, it's rather small. We'll have to make adjustments after the kids come.”
He nodded. “Uh, I understand that your family started off someplace small.”
“We did. My parents didn't start off this small, though. There was at least one extra room.”
“My family started small,” Merlot said. “We now live in a huge house.”
Ebony sat down on the couch. “You never talk about your life back in Chedder Le Sims. What was it like?”
Merlot sat down as well. “I come from a small village. Many of the people look like me. We have not, uh, bred with outsiders in many generations.”
“So, you're related to everyone?”
“Pretty much. I left to find my place in the world.” He smiled slightly. “It is very different here than it is in my village.”
“Oh? How different?”
“We are very caught up on colors there. In fact, the whole village is either purple or a dark blue.” He points to his chosen colors. “As you can see, I have a little bit leaking through, but both my parents are purples.”
“And I take it this is the first time you've met a Soiled.”
“True. Leaving my village, I was first startled by the various colors I saw around me. I never saw anyone that was not purple or deep blue. For the first time, I was surrounded by yellows and greens and reds. It was amazing!”
Ebony raised one slender white eyebrow. “And what made you sign up for the Soiled Project?”
“I had heard of Soileds only after leaving my village. I was curious, and a chance to find out what makes them...I had to try.” He smiled at her. “I hope that doesn't sound bad. I wanted to learn about something I never heard of before.”
“And what do you think of Soileds now?”
Merlot paused, thinking over his answer. “I find that you are not the soulless monster I was told you would be. You are hard working, kind, and try very hard to make a better life for yourself. I think you will be a wonderful mother.”
Ebony smiled. “Thank you for saying that.”
Merlot stayed for a little while longer, talking about growing up in a world that seemed to be only one color. After he left, Ebony's phone rang. Surprised, she noticed that her brother Jet's number flashed on the screen.
“Jet? What's up?”
Instead of her brother's jovial voice, she heard sobbing. Ebony's heart constricted. Had something happened to his girlfriend? Or her parents? “Jet?”
“Oh, Berry, Ebony! They killed her! They just killed her!”
Ebony took a shuddering breath. “Killed who?” <i>Please, not my mom! Please, may this not be about mom!</i>
“I don't know. They never named her.”
“Named who? Jet, what is going on?”
It took a little bit of time for Jet to calm down. He poured the whole story out to Ebony, of how a couple on vacation came in because the wife was in labor. She gave birth to a daughter, but the child had some Soiled features. “It wasn't even like you or mom,” Jet snarled. “She had black hair! That was it! But the mother started screaming that it was the father's fault. He admitted that his great-aunt or whoever was a Soiled, but none of her kids were.”
“What happened next,” asked Ebony.
“They carted the baby out of there. She was beautiful, Ebs. Just this adorable little bundle of yellow with a tuft of black hair. And her eyes! Oh, Ebs, she had these huge eyes. I went to talk to the head doctor about adopting her, but I was too late. They killed her and chucked her into the furnace like so much trash.”
Ebony choked back the tears that were forming. “Why? It's not like being a Soiled is a death sentence. Not yet, anyway.”
“Not everyone wants a child with Soiled blood. Twix Brook is one of the last places where you can exterminate your baby if it has any Soiled features.” He took a deep breath. “Not all the doctors were for that. There was a protest when it was learned that the baby had been destroyed. I wasn't the only one who wanted to adopt her.”
“Maybe there is hope, then. Maybe, the next one will get to live?”
“Berry, I hope so,” Jet said. “I don't think I can stand to see another life snuffed out because her colors aren't right.”
Ebony sat alone that night, thinking over what her brother had witnessed. They wanted to take a step forward, but it felt like they were falling back.
The months of her pregnancy started to fly by. Her workstation was moved to her house as she was put on bedrest. That annoyed her the most since she was more under house arrest. All she could all day was look over numbers and samples electronically sent to her through the computer and practice skills that she would need to help the babies. Yes, babies! It finally came through that she was expecting twins. That didn't surprise her. Her mom was a twin, and all of her siblings were multiples. If she had a single child, it would be a miracle.
“Once they age up to needing their own room, we'll start the construction,” Nutmeg promised.
“You'll start sooner then that,” Ebony said. “I won't have my kids sitting around while you guys decide to build. I want their room done before it's time.”
Nine months past and Ebony went into labor. Though scared, she didn't have to wait long for an ambulance to take her to the hospital. With all the cameras, it was evident they were watching her. One was on the way before she called.
She barely got a chance to see her newborns before they were wheeled away for the first rounds of tests. Ebony got to name them after they had been in the world for three days.
She had a son – a Soiled little son – whom she named Granite. She figured he'd need a strong name to counteract the hate that would come his way. She could see just a tiny little tuft of raspberry red hair and smiled. He would look more like a brother then her son with how much he resembled Pepper and Pomegranate. Ebony prayed he inherited their backbones.
Her daughter was black and blue. She got the mysterious father's blue skin, and Pepper's black hair. It seemed that colors liked to skip generations. The daughter, she named Onyx. Despite her hair, Ebony knew her daughter would have an easier time in the world. She was a blue Berry, she had color. Not even the black hair could mar her happiness. It's not like anyone wouldn't know who Onyx was. Ebony had a feeling that her children would be well known before they were old enough to walk.
Once the babies were born, Ebony went back to work. Her home lab became her only lab and the single corner of her house was crammed with notebooks and binders filled with data, and a locked cabinet of specimens and a microscope. She spent her days making notes on what she could see, messaging Nutmeg and Merlot to check on the lab's more powerful computers and microscopes things she thought she saw, and running up the stairs the moment a baby cried. Working from home made it easier to care for the twins and harder for anyone to sabotage her work, but it also made it harder to do her experiments with the equipment given to her.
As luck would have it, any more sabotage attempts ceased. Either it was harder to break into her house and ruin her samples, or who ever it was now had what he wanted. Ebony shivered at the thought that Plan B was the goal all along.
The twins quickly became Ebony's life. At first, she was worried that the twins would develop like her own siblings. Would Onyx follow the same path as Sable and reject the family in favor of living a "normal" life? Would Granite go into politics and put himself in danger? She watched them, alert for any quirk in their personalities that would hint at their future.
Pepper was the one who let her know she had nothing to fear. Children become their own people, and there had been no hint at this age with Sable that would warn them of the split to come.
"Let them be happy babies," Pepper said. "Let them grow up in a loving environment. It's all you can do."
After Ebony stopped worrying that Onyx would eventually reject her family, a new fear crept in. Who was their father? What if there was something he forgot to put down, like a family illness. Shouldn't she be warned? Only Nutmeg knew the identity of the father, but after a visit with her family, Ebony felt like she had a good clue as to his identity.
The next time Nutmeg came over to check on her data, she said, "I think I've figured it out."
"Figured what out?" Nutmeg squinted at the numbers, trying to figure out what Ebony saw that he wasn't.
"Their father. I think I know who he is."
Nutmeg looked up from the computer, his blue eyes wide. "Ebony, listen -"
"I know you can't tell me if I'm right, but hear me out. You've met my sister-in-law, Blueberry, right?"
"Obsidian’s wife, real ball buster lawyer for Soiled Rights. Scary woman."
"Right. Well, she came over the other day with my parents, and I noticed that Onyx is the exact same shade of blue as she. Blueberry has a brother who was visiting when you would have been collecting volunteers for the project, and he's always asking Blueberry about the babies. It has to be her brother!"
Nutmeg sighed. "There are plenty of Berries with Onyx's exact shade of blue, Ebony. By Berry, I'm the same shade of blue. Why can't I be the father?"
"Because your father would kill you." Ebony crossed her arms, back to square one. "I did think about you the first time you held Onyx, but your family is so entrenched in A.🐸🐸🐸🐸 that I knew that was a stupid idea. Besides, your coloring was a mutation. Your whole family is shades of bronze, browns, and rusty reds. If you had been the father, I would more likely have a brown baby than a blue one."
"You really understand the genetics of Berries, don't you?"
"Obviously. That's why we're doing this, right? To find out if Soileds are Berries on a genetic level." Ebony smiled. "And I don't know everything yet. After all, there are no teal Berries in my family tree, but look at Licorice and Jet."
"Anyway, Blueberry's brother is not the father. Believe me, I would not ask you to put that woman's DNA any more into you family tree."
Despite being the son of the leader of A.🐸🐸🐸🐸 and expected heir, Nutmeg was great with the kids. While he spoiled Onyx a little more than Granite, it wasn't obvious to the kids. Ebony did notice that he'd hold Onyx a little longer, but he never ignored Granite. Granite, though, seemed to think the sun rose and set on Nutmeg and toddled after the man once he could walk.
Onyx, however, was enamored with Merlot. Ebony found it hilarious how her children followed her coworkers around the house, offering half-eaten cookies to the "Daddy" of their choice. Nothing she said could get her twins to not call Nutmeg and Merlot "daddy", and she had no way of telling them gently that they might never meet their real father.
It did not seem to matter. The two men took to helping out whenever they came by. Nutmeg was wonderful with teaching the twins how to talk and basic learning skills while Merlot helped during the horrible potty-training months.
“You're so good with the kids,” Ebony told Merlot. “I'm surprised you don't have any of your own.”
“I helped raise my siblings and most of the little kids in my village. Everyone helped out. For a long time, I honestly thought I had ten mommies and daddies.” He smiled. “We really take that 'It takes a village' adage to heart.”
Nutmeg and Merlot both offered to babysit when Ebony was invited to her parents' anniversary party. It was nice to get out of the house for a little while and not have to worry about the twins. After she made sure Merlot had all the numbers needed in case anything went wrong, she left. Going home was always a bittersweet. She loved her family, but she couldn't help but feel cramped in the house whenever all siblings were present.
Well, almost all. Sable declined the invitation. Everyone tiptoed around the subject of what she was doing now. It was times like this, when the topics were clearly being averted, that Ebony could tell how her family really felt about her life choice of being a scientific experiment. No one talked about it. No one asked about her work. Everyone pretended it didn't exist.
“I really wish you didn't pretend that once I leave this house, I don't exist,” she complained to Jet. “Mom, Dad, and Obsidian are the only ones who visit me. You and Licorice barely even call me anymore.”
“I don't feel comfortable with what you do, Ebony,” Jet said. “After all Dad did to keep us safe from the likes of the A.🐸🐸🐸🐸, you go and place yourself right into their hands. And for what? Just to be another test tube for them?”
“That's really crude. I'm doing really good work, Jet. We've finally isolated the genes associated with color. We're just a step away from breaking the code as to whether Soileds can be classified as true Berries.”
“And then they'll kill you. Really, Ebony, how can you be so stupid? You could have gone to Sugar Valley to do this. Why stay here?”
“Because my family is here. It's easy to go someplace where I'd be more accepted, but to stay here and prove my worth was harder.”
Jet sighed. “You know we worry about you. I don't want to wake up some morning, crying because they firebombed your house again.”
“I'm being very careful. I promise you.”
**Author's note: I will be able to, hopefully, update twice a month. Please give me at least two weeks before asking for another chapter. They will be out the first/last week of the month and around the 15th. Sooner if I can type them up faster. The heir vote for this legacy will be in chapter 6 or 7. Earlier if I need to pause my game if the direction depends on the heir.
“All I'm saying is that it's not fair if she doesn't go!”
Ebony sighed as Merlot and Nutmeg argued in her kitchen. While she agreed with Merlot, she knew it was hopeless. Tonight was the banquet in honor of her most recent discovery. They had proven that the color gene for Soileds was in regular Berries, even if their families never showed the gene before. It was recessive, but there nonetheless. By this discovery, Ebony proved that Soileds were just normal Berries.
The banquet, however, was a no-Soiled zone. Despite being the one to make the discovery, she was not allowed to enter. Thus, the argument in her kitchen.
“I want her to come, too,” Nutmeg said, “but rules are rules.”
“Isn't this kind of segregation something her brother and father are fighting against? How can you allow it?”
Nutmeg sighed, looking over at Ebony for help. Ebony stepped between the two men. “I may not be there, but I have the two of you to speak for me,” she said. “This will all pass someday. If not in my lifetime, then in my children's. Just go and be happy for me.”
Merlot grumbled, but eventually allowed Nutmeg to drag him out of the house. They came back later that night to show off their fancy duds. Onyx and Granite had no idea about the politics in motion around them, and cheerfully hugged Merlot and Nutmeg.
Left alone with her kids, Ebony set to work on putting them to bed. They had grown and would be starting school soon. She opted to have them homeschooled with a tutor. It wasn't because Granite wasn't allowed in school, but she did not want to put her son through what she experienced. There would be no sadistic teachers who enjoyed forcing him to write about how those who looked like him had died in the past. There would be no kids waiting after school to chase him to the bus, chanting anti-Soil slogans. There would be no one handing out brochures to Onyx, either.
As she tucked her children in bed, she found herself remembering the first time she met Nutmeg. He had gone to some special school outside of town and only came back to Twix Brook during the summer. It was by the public pool where she first met Nutmeg, and it took her a long time to ever trust him after that.
Ebony and her brothers wanted to go swimming but a huge “NO SOILEDS ALLOWED” sign prevented them from entering the public pool. They stood outside the gate, wistfully watching the others have fun. Nutmeg and his friends spotted them, and the teasing began. Ebony and her brothers ran from the pool. A few days later, she was passing the pool again, this time on her way home from the store.
“Hey! Soiled! Did you want to go swimming?”
Ebony looked up to see Nutmeg and his friends standing at the gate of the pool.
“No. I need to get home,” she said.
“Well, I think you want to go swimming,” Nutmeg said. With that, he lobbed a water balloon at her. The water smelled funny and she ran home before they could throw any more at her. Later, she realized the water smelled funny because it was chlorinated. He had drenched her with pool water, and that was the closest she ever got to swimming in the pool.
Ebony didn't hate Nutmeg for what he did as a kid, and he seemed to have grown up to be a half-way decent person. They didn't meet up after that until she was brought onto the Soiled Project, and Nutmeg never mentioned it.
It made Ebony wonder what Merlot was like as a child. Had they met then, would he have been as accepting as he was now?
A few hours later, as she was turning off her computer and about to get ready for bed herself, there came a knock on the door. Not expecting any guests, and a little wary of what this town could throw at her, Ebony peeked out of the window. She was surprised to see Merlot standing on her doorstep.
“Merlot? I thought you were at the party.” She opened the door and immediately got a whiff of the strong drink on his breath.
“I couldn't stop thinking about you,” Merlot said. He swayed on her porch and Ebony helped him inside. “I don't think it's fair what they did to you.”
“I'm used to it by now,” Ebony said. A bit fearful that their talking downstairs would wake the kids up, she led him upstairs. Though nothing existed up there but her bedroom and the new bathroom. At least it would be harder for the kids to hear them. “Merlot, I know life isn't fair, but I can't expect it to change overnight. I can only hope that my kids have a better life and their kids an even better one.”
Merlot swayed a bit, his hands in his pockets. If it weren't for the fact he was drunk, Ebony would have thought he was embarrassed or scared. “Ebony, I never thought about how others lived until you. I want you to have the best life available. I want you to experience the freedom I had growing up.”
Ebony smiled. “That's really sweet, Merlot. I didn't have a bad childhood. I had loving parents and protective brothers. I got an education. It may not have been perfect, but it was good.”
“Was it really good enough? Don't you ever wish for more?”
She shrugged. “Yeah, I guess. I mean, who doesn't wish for more. There are days I wish I were a normal Berry who could have any job she wanted, marry, and live a normal life.”
Merlot grinned. “You want to marry?”
“Yes. It hurts that my kids will never know their father.”
Merlot looked like he was about to say something before he launched himself at her. Ebony gave a squeak of surprise seconds before he planted a kiss on her lips.
“I love you, Ebony. I want to marry you.”
“Merlot, you're drunk. Ask me again when you're sober.” Not that she believed he'd remember.
Merlot started planting little kisses down her neck. “I'm not that drunk. I know what I'm doing.”
“And if I say no?”
“Then I'll stop. I promise.”
Ebony sighed. She had two choices, and neither one appealed to her. She could say stop, trust him to be a gentleman, and live the rest of her life wondering if he really did desire her. Or, she could say yes and possibly have him hate her in the morning. All for one night of possible bliss.
Merlot pulled back, and she could see the reasoning intelligence behind his dark eyes. “Ebony, do you want me to continue?”
She weighed her options. Should she? Shouldn't she? Would she ever have the chance to be with a man she felt attracted to, and who seemed to be attracted to her.
It was everything Ebony ever hoped it to be. Merlot, despite being drunk, was a kind and compassionate lover. Later, as he snored peacefully on her bed, Ebony sat on the floor thinking over what had happened. On one hand, she regretted nothing. For as long as she shall live, she would always remember this night. On the other hand, she did not relish the idea of Merlot waking up and realizing what had happened. She feared the oncoming anger and accusations. Could they work together after this?
She slept on the downstairs couch and was eventually awakened by her kids, tugging on her arm and demanding breakfast. She got up and started making pancakes when Merlot made his appearance. This was punctuated by Onyx jumping up and squealing his name before hugging him.
“Morning,” Ebony said. “Did you sleep well?”
Extracting himself from Onyx, he smiled. “I slept wonderfully. You?”
“Pretty well.”
“Mommy slept on the couch,” said Granite.
Merlot motioned for the kids to sit at the table. Ebony stiffened when he stood behind her.
“About last night...” Merlot started. He sighed and continued, “Did I really tell you that I love you?”
“You did, but I understand you were intoxicated.”
“I kind of wanted it to be more romantic when I said those things.”
She stopped making the pancakes. “You're not mad at me?”
“Why would I be mad at you? I'm more angry at myself for botching this up.” He leaned on the counter. “You do not deserve a man who comes in reeking of stale alcohol, proclaiming drunken words of love. I wish I could hit rewind and give you the declaration you deserve.”
“I thought you'd be mad at me for, you know, taking advantage of you.”
“Well, again, I wish I had been sober. But, we can always try that again.” He winked at her, causing her to smile. While she finished the pancakes, he went over to the table and talked to the kids.
As they were finishing up, the door opened and Nutmeg stormed in. He motioned immediately for the kids to leave the house. “I need to speak to your mom and Merlot privately. Go out and play.”
Having never seen Nutmeg in a temper, Onyx and Granite scampered outside. Nutmeg waited until he was sure they were not in listening distance before turning on Merlot and Ebony.
“What in Berry's name were you thinking! We saw the whole thing!” Nutmeg stomped over and pointed a finger at Merlot. “I told you time and time again, hands off Ebony!”
“She is not yours for you to order me like that,” Merlot said.
“Nutmeg, what is going on?” Ebony tried to move between the two men, but something told her that was not a good idea. If it came to blows, they could hit her.
Nutmeg glanced over at Ebony. “He wasn't supposed to ever make love to you. I knew for a while now that his eye was straying to you, but I never thought he'd be stupid enough to jeopardize his career!”
“What are you talking about? How could last night jeopardize anything?”
“What if you get pregnant again? What if something happens? We have no data on Merlot to predict anything with the babies.”
Ebony frowned. “But we know that Soileds are genetically just Berries. What would it matter?”
“Everything matters when you are part of an experiment! He just threw a monkey wrench in the works!”
Merlot tried to calm Nutmeg down. “I will not regret last night. I wish it had been more romantic, but that was my doing. I will never regret loving Ebony.”
“You may regret that,” Nutmeg snapped. “Our superiors are not happy with your. How can you maintain a scientific mind if you are drooling over the specimen!”
“I happen to be a person,” Ebony cried.
“Our superiors can just shove it,” Merlot said. “I love Ebony. I will always love Ebony. I want to always be with her.”
“Too bad she's property of the Science Department,” Nutmeg said. “She has less freedoms than you know.”
“Still a person,” Ebony said between gritted teeth.
“As for you, Merlot, the decision came down after watching your display last night.” Nutmeg pointed at Merlot and spoke the fatal words. “You are fired.”
I decided to do this early since I want to just breeze through my gameplay, and this will let me know where to focus. I am taking out all of Ebony's more Soiled-looking kids. Even though it would really be funny to me if all the generations were in the POV of a Soiled, it is a rainbowcy and needs some variation in colors. You will still get to know what will happen to the others. I'm doing this now since the next few events will happen in quick sesesion and I don't want to pause for very long.
While just a child, she nearly lost her mother to the offshoot group, Kill All Soileds (KAS). Right after, her world was turned upside down as her grandfather on her father's side swoops into her life and decides that she needs a proper Berry education. Her mom and stepdad tried to keep things equal between her and her siblings, but the pull of her grandfather's life started to become too strong. Believing that she could do a lot of good on the inside of the elite Berry world, she places herself in her grandfather's hands. A better education, a better chance at a job, and a marriage arranged by her grandfather. At first, Onyx thinks she's living the good life. So what if there were some mysterious stillbirths and snickering behind her back? She could make a difference and she is now close to those who make the laws.
But, once a Soiled, always a Soiled. When she finds the truth of her marriage, she is devastated. Can she trust anyone ever again?
Like the rest of his siblings, he wants to help further the cause of Soiled Equality. Not a very political person, he and his two brothers find out about a business that might help: a home for unwanted Soileds. While Granite and Thistle travel between Twix Brook and Sugar Valley, Hycinth stays at the new building and cares for the unwanted kids with his cousin, Slate. When Slate is murdered, most likely by KAS, they all think it is a crime but have no proof. Then someone tries to kill Granite. The Crush family proceeds with caution as more and more incidents happen around the Home for Soileds. With the police not being much help, Hycinth must protect the small lives in his care and keep from being the next target.
Though not in the Heir Vote, I'll show you the other two brothers.
Finding out who his father was nearly destroyed him. Seeing how that side of his family rejected him and only wanted Onyx made him angry. He was pulled from his rebellious teen years by a pen pal in Sugar Valley. Through his pen pal, he learns of the Home for Soileds, and makes it his mission to give all Soiled children a loving place to belong. He later moves to Sugar Valley after an attempt on his life. Part of him believes he is being a coward, but his mother insists it is a smart man who knows to not put himself in Death's way.
He is Hycinth's twin, and the two were very close. For all their parents tried to protect them from the horrors of the world, it was Thistle who often stood up for Hycinth when the other neighborhood kids became too cruel. He later moves to Brieport and works with a Soiled campaign there. His greatest accomplishment is being the aid to the first ever Soiled actor who appears on screen. Until this moment, all Soiled actors would either be in Soiled-only shows (not seen by the general public) or played by Berries in make-up. While the actor doesn't win any awards, Thistle and his family sees this as a step in the right direction. He later marries that actor's daughter.
Bxtch 🐸🐸🐸🐸...So NOOOO ONE is gonna point out how blantly racist this is?? “White are pure” “dark skinned are soiled” Christ. It’s like I’m surprised but not even surprised at the same time. What is wrong with you people? Ruining a sims games with your berry fantasies. And here I thought this berry sim business was just a cute colorful thing. I WAS SO WRONG. You guys need help. I’ll be dammed. And don’t @ me and say some stupid nonsense like “it’s just a game.” “It’s our game.” It May be just a game but it reflects what kinda 💩y person you are. Please stop this. It affects a whole community. And not just POC. Other people will see this and think it’s okay when it’s NOT OKAY. Bless your wretched souls and SEEK HELP.
Comments
Thanks. I think it's nice to wrap up the characters, especially since I might not get to them in the next generation.
Ebony's start should be up soon.
Generation Two: Ebony
Prologue: Meet Ebony Crush
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Color is all that matters to Berry Sims. Passing on color, showing off color, being colorful...it all revolves around color. The two ends of the spectrum – White and Black – are treated so very different. The paler and whiter a Berry is, the more respect that Berry has. White and pale colors are seen as the most generous of Berries, for they reflect back all, or almost all, colors. It's easier to mix colors with White or Pale Berries.
Black, on the other hand, is cursed. Seen as selfish for not reflecting any colors, it was the most undesirable color. Anyone with black in their color wheel was called Soiled. For that was what they were: soiled. Impure. Ruined.
One such Sim was Ebony Crush. Born a Soiled, she knew from an early age that her life would not matter to those who existed in the world around her. Outside of her family, that is. Her family loved her and cared for her her. It was only within the confines of her parents' home that she truly felt safe. As one of five kids, there was always enough love to go around.
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Her father was Pomegranate Crush, the first openly Pro-Soil Councilman in Twix Brook. Though none of the laws he managed to get signed while on the bench truly helped the few Soileds in the community, it would always be seen as the first step.
“Baby steps,” he'd say, “are how we'll win this. I know it doesn't seem like a lot now, but we are placing the foundation. When people look back at the advancement of Soileds, they will say that it started here.”
His two major laws were partial voting rights for non-Berry Sims and an anti-discrimination act in favor of the non-Soiled Berry family and friends of Soiled Berries. As Pomegranate said, it was the first step. The Crush family knew what he was trying to do. Obsidian Crush, Ebony's eldest brother, knew the most. He planned on getting into politics, but his skin color prevented him from taking any real position. Instead, he started his career in the Pro-Soil offices, working behind the scenes for half of what a real Berry would make. It was the best he could do until the laws could be changed.
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Ebony's mother, Pepper, was a Soiled. In fact, besides Ebony and Obsidian, she was the only famous Soiled in all of Twix Brook. The three of them were in the public eye because it was Pepper who started the march toward acceptance. Instead of staying hidden and accepting the abuse heaped upon her by the Council, she made a stand. Her parents joined the Anti-Soil Society, or A.🐸🐸🐸🐸., before Ebony was born. She never met her grandparents, but Obsidian had.
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Life in Twix Brook became increasingly harder as Ebony grew up. School was the worst, but only because it dominated most of her young life. Ebony, being a Soiled, was set aside from the other students. Until he graduated, Obsidian and Ebony were in the same class. Sometimes, if other students were too wild or considered too dumb, they were placed in that class, but it was mostly only the Soileds. At a young age, Ebony knew she was not learning everything she needed to know to become a productive member of society. She'd often “borrow” her brothers' homework and study from them to better herself.
Adding fuel to her fire was the fact that her teachers seemed to enjoy lingering over how Soileds were once treated in every sickening detail. Her dad had to call the school after Ebony was told to write an essay on the best method of torture used against Soileds during the Drupe Crusades. It gave her nightmares for months.
Around town, fun things open to other kids were closed to the whole Crush family. In fact, certain activities meant she had to hold a membership card to A.🐸🐸🐸🐸 if she wanted to get in, and that was never going to happen. While signs stating, “No Soileds Allowed” had popped up during Pepper's time, they multiplied now that there were young Soileds running around. And young Soileds grew up to be adults who could breed. Ebony learned early that life wasn't fair. She couldn't eat at certain restaurants, play in the parks, or go swimming. All because of the color of her skin.
Things got scary just before Obsidian graduated. He and Pomegranate were at a Pro-Soil rally. Nothing illegal, just a gathering to talk about the rights of Soileds. But, the A.🐸🐸🐸🐸 didn't like the idea. As Pomegranate and Obsidian were leaving the rally, a gunshot rang out. Just one, and the person was an excellent shot.
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“We need an ambulance! Hurry!” Pomegranate screamed as he clutched Obsidian. The bullet had torn through the teenager's shoulder, nearly missing his lung and neck, but did nick a few important veins. The shock, however, knocked Obsidian unconscious and he was losing a lot of blood.
He survived, but was in the hospital for months. Obsidian never got to graduate with his class. He had to take online courses to complete his GED while he was hospitalized, even though he only missed two weeks of classes. Of course, University was out of the question. None of them had repealed their laws on Soileds in so long, and none were willing to do so now. He never got a degree, and the family knew that finding a job would be hard. His connections with the Pro-Soiled Movement helped him secure a job, but it was barely enough.
Obsidian met and married a lovely woman while working in the political offices. As far as sister-in-laws went, Blueberry Lace wasn't the worst. She made Obsidian happy, and that was what was important. Ebony felt that her sister-in-law wasn't very outgoing and kept to herself, never really mingling with the family. She was the quiet evenings to Obsidian's unstoppable energy.
Sable never married. She moved out and rarely spoke to her family while she searched for herself as an artist. She was always torn between family loyalty and the desire to be accepted. It hurt her parents, but they understood. There is always one like that in every family.
Jet and Licorice married out of high school. Their wives were also big in the Pro-Soil Movement, which was a must. There was no such thing as neutral when it came to the topic of Soileds. If one tried to remain neutral, then one side would think you were for the other.
Ebony didn't marry. It wasn't allowed. Not by any law, since it was proven that Soileds could marry, but by order of her job. She had to sell her soul to get the position she wanted, and forever felt trapped by that decision. In order to go into science and prove that Soileds were just ordinary Berries, she was forced to be part of the experiment, and no one could marry the experiment.
And this is where her story begins.
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“Berry! Not again!”
Ebony Crush glared at her computer, willing the results to change. Around her, the scientists assigned to the Soiled Project stopped what they were doing and stared at her. That cry meant something had gone wrong with their data.
Again.
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“What is it this time?” A quiet, slightly accented voice asked. Ebony glanced over at the other computer, at her coworker, Marlot Brodiaea. He was from a small village in Chedder Le Sims whose work on genetics made him a candidate for the Soiled Project.
“Someone messed with my samples again,” Ebony said. “I know this isn't from Obsidian.”
“How can you tell?”
“For one thing, there is no way in the dark pits my brother is pregnant.” Ebony pushed her white hair out of her eyes. “And for another, I ran a DNA sequence on all the samples. They're all from the same person. My original samples are missing.”
“Maybe you misplaced them?”
That earned him one of Ebony's patented glares. “Do you really think I'd misplace all my samples? Especially after the last time someone tampered with them?”
Marlot shrugged. “Maybe, if you are not getting the results you want.”
Ebony gasped, her hands curling into fists. “I am not the kind of person to tamper with the results, whether or not they are what I want. This is too important to me.”
“I am sure you know what kind of results the Soiled Project wants,” Marlot said. “They are funded by the Anti-Soil Society. What you want and what they want are not on the same level.”
“I don't care what the A.🐸🐸🐸🐸 wants. I'm interested in honest results.”
Marlot shrugged again. “Maybe it's the A.🐸🐸🐸🐸 that don't want you to get any results?”
Ebony had thought about that. It was the most logical answer. Someone was tampering with her samples. She suspected that the A.🐸🐸🐸🐸 had a spy in the lab all along. In fact, she was sure she knew who the spy was.
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“I assure you, the A.🐸🐸🐸🐸 is also interested in the results. We may just not print them if we don't like what they say.” Speak of the devil. Ebony felt her lip curl with disgust as Nutmeg Plains walked over to her desk.
The Plains family had been a thorn in the side of the Crush family for years. Nutmeg's father, Copper, ran the A.🐸🐸🐸🐸 and worked against everything Ebony's father, Pomegranate, pushed forward. If Copper had his way, Ebony would have been killed at birth. They were the same age, but their lives were very different. Nutmeg got the best education and actually picked this project. Ebony was lucky to graduate and had to jump through hoops and promise to be a lab rat to get the job of her dreams.
“So, if my results are that the gene that causes a Berry to be born a Soiled exists, the A.🐸🐸🐸🐸 would be happy with that,” scoffed Ebony.
“Yes. I don't understand your hostility, Ms Crush. We've done everything to help you along. Just because we're banking on it being a mutation doesn't mean we want you to fail.”
“Then who is messing with my samples?”
“I don't know. I'm afraid you'll either have to get more samples or...” He smiled coyly. “Try Plan B.”
“Out of the question!”
Plan B was not an option for Ebony. It meant having babies and allowing the lab to experiment on them. Especially if her kids were Soiled. There was no way she'd ever allow that.
“Ms Crush, I know you think we plan on cutting up any child you have, but I assure you, that's not true. Blood tests and observation only.”
“The answer is still no.” Ebony stood up. “If you don't mind, I have more samples to collect.”
She left the lab. Behind her, she could hear Marlot's soft voice, “I think you...how do you say?...stepped in that one.”
“Plan B may be her only option. She just needs to realize that!” Nutmeg's voice rose at the end, giving Ebony the feeling he knew she could still hear him. Fuming, she drove to her home. It was also provided by the lab, and filled with cameras to watch her every move. Though they said there were none in the bathrooms, she wouldn't put that by them.
The home was everything her childhood home was not. Instead of warm and inviting, it felt cold and sterile. Even her chosen colors were frigid: white, black, ice blue and teal. It was like walking into a tundra daily. She missed the cheery reds and grays of her parents' home. Most of her siblings got yellow as a chosen color. That would have perked her home up.
Sighing, she waved half-heartedly at the camera by the door and walked in. After kicking off her shoes, she grabbed her phone and dialed Obsidian's number. Of all her family, he would understand her the most.
“What's up, Ebony?”
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“They ruined my samples again. I don't know who is doing it, but someone swapped out all my samples. I have to start all over again!”
Obsidian sighed. “I tried to warn you, Ebs. That lab is in the back pocket of the A.🐸🐸🐸🐸. Nothing you do will ever be good enough for them.”
“I know. I just wish they'd leave me alone. I don't care if they never publish my findings. I just need to know.”
“Mom and dad are worried about you, Ebs. You're working right in the hands of the A.🐸🐸🐸🐸. Need I remind you they tried to kill me? What if you find out that Soileds are just as natural as Berries? They can kill you over that.”
Ebony heaved a sigh. “Obsidian, I'm sorry to say, but I believe they'll kill me no matter what. If I have the results they want, I'm dead. If my results prove my point, I'm dead. I went into this knowing I won't make it out alive.”
“I want you to be careful. Please, sis. You're putting your life in danger.”
“I'll be careful. I'm coming over tomorrow for more samples.”
“See you then.”
It was always good to talk to Obsidian. He understood her better than anyone. In some ways, Ebony envied her older brother. He was on the outside, working in a job he loved and was not a lab rat. He was married to a colorful Berry who loved him for who he was and not for the colors he might or might not produce. He lived a life she knew would never be hers.
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Heading up to her room, she passed the one room in her house that she knew was utterly useless: the nursery. She'd never agree to Plan B, never wish this life on her kids. It was stupid to have a nursery in the house.
But, on some days, she wished for kids.
Chapter Two: Ebony has no choice
For the first time in a long time, Ebony was struck speechless. She had gotten up that morning with the plan to head to the lab and work on her new samples, but was greeted at the door by a Nutmeg and a group of men. Barely dressed and with no coffee in her system, she was forced to allow the men into her home, all because they were high members of the science community.
And members of the A.🐸🐸🐸🐸, she was positive. Most of them could barely stand to be in the same room as her. Other than Nutmeg, the members of the science community lingered in her hallway. It was almost comical the way they tried to not touch anything colored black.
“To what do I owe the honor,” asked Ebony.
Well, we've done some talking, Ms Crush, and we have decided to go ahead with Plan B.”
“I said no.”
Nutmeg sighed. “It's not up for debate, Ms Crush.”
“Exactly what does that mean?”
“It means,” piped in one of the men, “that you will go through with Plan B.”
Ebony frowned. “And if I refuse?”
“Then we will have you arrested for breach of contract,” the man said. “You are contractually obligated to follow the rules and whims of the community in charge of the Soiled Project. To refuse so will result in you spending the rest of your life behind bars.”
Ebony weighed her options. Children raised in captivity and used as science experiments, or jailed and possibly killed. Neither appealed to her.
The man scoffed to one of his companions. “See, what did I tell you? Lazy and stupid, the lot of them. She had no desire to honor the contract.”
“I know. I've heard about her mother. Just laying around the house and doing nothing. You know she doesn't work.”
Nutmeg cleared his throat. “Gentlemen, if you don't mind. I believe I can explain this to her better in private.”
The men grumbled, but they moved to linger in the kitchen. Ebony eyed Nutmeg, a conflicted feeling of anger and gratitude coming over her.
“I can promise you, Ms Crush, I...we will make this as comfortable as possible for you. And I will do all in my power to make sure your future kids are taken care of and not mistreated.”
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“And how will this work? There was no details on Plan B beyond I have kids and use them as living samples,” Ebony said. “Are you going to trick some poor guy into sleeping with me? Or will I have a choice in the man who will father my kids?”
“We will be using a donor,” Nutmeg explained. “When we started the Soiled Project, I went through and found a few donors in case it came to this.”
“Seriously? I'm having kids with a chicken baster? Do I get to pick which chicken baster?”
Nutmeg smiled. “I hope you don't mind, but I did bring the profile of the one I think would suit you best. If you disagree, I can bring the other profiles and have you look at them. One of them will be your child's father.”
He took a folded piece of paper and handed it to her. She sat there, reading over the mysterious person that Nutmeg felt would be a good father. Most of the information was what she thought it would be: a colorful Berry male from a good home with a good education, he has a good job, but it didn't say what he did. His genetic make up consisted of no known Soiled bloodline, which she expected. What she hadn't expected was a note at the bottom.
“Dear Future-Mother-of-my-Children: I understand that any child you bear could be a Soiled. I also understand that, for the sake of privacy, you and I will never meet. However, I was raised with the belief that a man takes care of his kids. In that vein, if it is my kids you have, I will do my best to care and provide for them.”
Ebony looked up at Nutmeg. “So, this guy...is he a good guy?”
“What do you mean?”
He makes a promise here. Will he honor that promise if my kids are Soiled?”
Nutmeg took the paper back and seemed to think things over. “I believe so. He's a very honorable Berry.”
She rubbed her temples, trying to fight off the headache that was forming. “And when do they want Plan B to be put into effect?”
“Today. Right now. They have a lab on stand-by at the hospital.”
“And what if I didn't want this guy as the father? What if I wanted to look at the other donors?”
Nutmeg shrugged. “How long could that possibly take? Beyond deciding what color you like best, they are all pretty much the same. All of them came from good homes. All of them had a good education. All of them excelled in something. You're not picking a mate, just some genes to create a baby.”
“Maybe I might have to take a day or two to figure out what genes would make a healthy and productive baby,” Ebony snarled. “I'm not picking out shampoo or a new dress! You're forcing me to have a child so you and those monsters can examine him under a microscope! You're taking away any future my children will have in the name of science! Why don't you donate your kids?”
“When I have kids, Ms Crush, maybe I will. Until that time, it's you who signed the contract.”
“Are you two done?” The man from the science community looked in on them. “We'd like to hurry this along. Some of us have jobs to get to.” That last bit was aimed at Ebony. She bristled, but bit her tongue.
“I think we came to a conclusion,” Nutmeg said.
“I have one last question. What colors is this man? I want to know what colors my future kids might have.”
Nutmeg looked back at the paper. “Blue, I believe. I think this one had the main color of blue.”
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Ebony was driven to the hospital. The car ride was quiet, as she had nothing to say to Nutmeg and he, apparently, had nothing to say to her. He hadn't been kidding when he said they had a room ready to go. She was whisked away from the car and tossed into a flimsy paper gown.
“We're going with Donor One,” Nutmeg said.
The doctor opened a canister and pulled out a vial of liquid. Ebony watched, feeling scared, as he prepped to inject her with the liquid.
“I'm starting to have second thoughts,” she said. “Can we reschedule.”
The doctor, a bright red Berry, looked her way as he flicked his finger against the syringe. “Hold her down,” he said.
Two strong nurses gripped Ebony's arms and another two got her legs. She struggled, but they kept her from moving too much. She screamed as the needle entered her. How the doctor knew where to inject, or if she was even fertile at the time, Ebony didn't know. Possibly, with the cameras, they were tracking her fertility? Or the doctor didn't care.
“We will have to observe you for the next few days to make sure this takes,” the doctor said. “We only have two more samples from Donor One. After that, you will have to pick someone else.”
“I'm sure this will take,” Nutmeg said. “Her family is very fertile.”
Ebony was taken to a private room where she stayed for a few days until she tested as pregnant. Then they sent her home with a thick stack of instructions. Her family congratulated her on her pregnancy, careful to not mention the fact she was basically blackmailed into it.
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“Berry, Mom, I'm scared,” Ebony confided. “What if I have twins? What if both are Soiled? What if I never get to see my babies?”
“Everything will work out,” Pepper said. “I know it seems helpless now, but we have to have faith. There were times I feared they'd take your siblings away from me.”
But none of us were born into a science experiment.”
Pepper hugged her youngest daughter. “Everything will work out,” she repeated. “You'll see.”
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Not two days after talking to her mom, Ebony's life changed again. The home she had been assigned to caught fire. Despite the cameras at every angle, no one was accused of the crime. Ebony, luckily, got out of the house in time. She had been near the back door when the bottles of Molotov cocktails came flying in the front windows.
The science community immediately moved her to a small home by the smelly Twix Brook River. It was a stench she had long thought escaped, one that reminded her of her childhood as her mom could only afford a small home by the river, as well. To her horror, the house only had one bedroom.
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“What about my kids,” she complained to Nutmeg. “I don't have room for them.”
“For one thing, we don't know if you're having multiples or not,” said Nutmeg. “For another, we can always build on the house. After all, that's what your family did.”
“We also started off with a second bedroom,” Ebony said.
“You have a balcony that is the same space as a small room,” Nutmeg explained. “We can fix that up into a spare room when the kid or kids gets older.”
“And school? What about school?”
“They will go to a private school, provided they are not Soiled. Any Soiled child will have a tutor here at the house.”
Ebony did not like that idea. It was just a disaster waiting to happen. No matter what, one child would hate the other for such options. She had heard of it happening with her mom and Aunt Vanilla. Her mom was envious of her aunt for getting to go to school and make friends, and her aunt was envious of her mom for staying home. She did not want that for her kids.
“I can't accept that. Either all my kids, Soiled or not, stay with a tutor or they go to school. I will not have any child think I'm favoring the other.”
Nutmeg thought it over. “Well, it will be easier to keep an eye on them if they stay here with a tutor. I'll put in the request.”
“Thank you, Nutmeg.”
Nutmeg was not the only person to visit Ebony as she settled into her new home. Merlot made a surprise visit.
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“I just wanted to see how your new home was turning out,” he said. He stood awkwardly in her tiny living room, hands in his pockets.
Ebony waved her hand around the house. “As you can see, it's rather small. We'll have to make adjustments after the kids come.”
He nodded. “Uh, I understand that your family started off someplace small.”
“We did. My parents didn't start off this small, though. There was at least one extra room.”
“My family started small,” Merlot said. “We now live in a huge house.”
Ebony sat down on the couch. “You never talk about your life back in Chedder Le Sims. What was it like?”
Merlot sat down as well. “I come from a small village. Many of the people look like me. We have not, uh, bred with outsiders in many generations.”
“So, you're related to everyone?”
“Pretty much. I left to find my place in the world.” He smiled slightly. “It is very different here than it is in my village.”
“Oh? How different?”
“We are very caught up on colors there. In fact, the whole village is either purple or a dark blue.” He points to his chosen colors. “As you can see, I have a little bit leaking through, but both my parents are purples.”
“And I take it this is the first time you've met a Soiled.”
“True. Leaving my village, I was first startled by the various colors I saw around me. I never saw anyone that was not purple or deep blue. For the first time, I was surrounded by yellows and greens and reds. It was amazing!”
Ebony raised one slender white eyebrow. “And what made you sign up for the Soiled Project?”
“I had heard of Soileds only after leaving my village. I was curious, and a chance to find out what makes them...I had to try.” He smiled at her. “I hope that doesn't sound bad. I wanted to learn about something I never heard of before.”
“And what do you think of Soileds now?”
Merlot paused, thinking over his answer. “I find that you are not the soulless monster I was told you would be. You are hard working, kind, and try very hard to make a better life for yourself. I think you will be a wonderful mother.”
Ebony smiled. “Thank you for saying that.”
Merlot stayed for a little while longer, talking about growing up in a world that seemed to be only one color. After he left, Ebony's phone rang. Surprised, she noticed that her brother Jet's number flashed on the screen.
“Jet? What's up?”
Instead of her brother's jovial voice, she heard sobbing. Ebony's heart constricted. Had something happened to his girlfriend? Or her parents? “Jet?”
“Oh, Berry, Ebony! They killed her! They just killed her!”
Ebony took a shuddering breath. “Killed who?” <i>Please, not my mom! Please, may this not be about mom!</i>
“I don't know. They never named her.”
“Named who? Jet, what is going on?”
It took a little bit of time for Jet to calm down. He poured the whole story out to Ebony, of how a couple on vacation came in because the wife was in labor. She gave birth to a daughter, but the child had some Soiled features. “It wasn't even like you or mom,” Jet snarled. “She had black hair! That was it! But the mother started screaming that it was the father's fault. He admitted that his great-aunt or whoever was a Soiled, but none of her kids were.”
“What happened next,” asked Ebony.
“They carted the baby out of there. She was beautiful, Ebs. Just this adorable little bundle of yellow with a tuft of black hair. And her eyes! Oh, Ebs, she had these huge eyes. I went to talk to the head doctor about adopting her, but I was too late. They killed her and chucked her into the furnace like so much trash.”
Ebony choked back the tears that were forming. “Why? It's not like being a Soiled is a death sentence. Not yet, anyway.”
“Not everyone wants a child with Soiled blood. Twix Brook is one of the last places where you can exterminate your baby if it has any Soiled features.” He took a deep breath. “Not all the doctors were for that. There was a protest when it was learned that the baby had been destroyed. I wasn't the only one who wanted to adopt her.”
“Maybe there is hope, then. Maybe, the next one will get to live?”
“Berry, I hope so,” Jet said. “I don't think I can stand to see another life snuffed out because her colors aren't right.”
Ebony sat alone that night, thinking over what her brother had witnessed. They wanted to take a step forward, but it felt like they were falling back.
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The months of her pregnancy started to fly by. Her workstation was moved to her house as she was put on bedrest. That annoyed her the most since she was more under house arrest. All she could all day was look over numbers and samples electronically sent to her through the computer and practice skills that she would need to help the babies. Yes, babies! It finally came through that she was expecting twins. That didn't surprise her. Her mom was a twin, and all of her siblings were multiples. If she had a single child, it would be a miracle.
“Once they age up to needing their own room, we'll start the construction,” Nutmeg promised.
“You'll start sooner then that,” Ebony said. “I won't have my kids sitting around while you guys decide to build. I want their room done before it's time.”
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Nine months past and Ebony went into labor. Though scared, she didn't have to wait long for an ambulance to take her to the hospital. With all the cameras, it was evident they were watching her. One was on the way before she called.
She barely got a chance to see her newborns before they were wheeled away for the first rounds of tests. Ebony got to name them after they had been in the world for three days.
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She had a son – a Soiled little son – whom she named Granite. She figured he'd need a strong name to counteract the hate that would come his way. She could see just a tiny little tuft of raspberry red hair and smiled. He would look more like a brother then her son with how much he resembled Pepper and Pomegranate. Ebony prayed he inherited their backbones.
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Her daughter was black and blue. She got the mysterious father's blue skin, and Pepper's black hair. It seemed that colors liked to skip generations. The daughter, she named Onyx. Despite her hair, Ebony knew her daughter would have an easier time in the world. She was a blue Berry, she had color. Not even the black hair could mar her happiness. It's not like anyone wouldn't know who Onyx was. Ebony had a feeling that her children would be well known before they were old enough to walk.
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Once the babies were born, Ebony went back to work. Her home lab became her only lab and the single corner of her house was crammed with notebooks and binders filled with data, and a locked cabinet of specimens and a microscope. She spent her days making notes on what she could see, messaging Nutmeg and Merlot to check on the lab's more powerful computers and microscopes things she thought she saw, and running up the stairs the moment a baby cried. Working from home made it easier to care for the twins and harder for anyone to sabotage her work, but it also made it harder to do her experiments with the equipment given to her.
As luck would have it, any more sabotage attempts ceased. Either it was harder to break into her house and ruin her samples, or who ever it was now had what he wanted. Ebony shivered at the thought that Plan B was the goal all along.
The twins quickly became Ebony's life. At first, she was worried that the twins would develop like her own siblings. Would Onyx follow the same path as Sable and reject the family in favor of living a "normal" life? Would Granite go into politics and put himself in danger? She watched them, alert for any quirk in their personalities that would hint at their future.
Pepper was the one who let her know she had nothing to fear. Children become their own people, and there had been no hint at this age with Sable that would warn them of the split to come.
"Let them be happy babies," Pepper said. "Let them grow up in a loving environment. It's all you can do."
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After Ebony stopped worrying that Onyx would eventually reject her family, a new fear crept in. Who was their father? What if there was something he forgot to put down, like a family illness. Shouldn't she be warned? Only Nutmeg knew the identity of the father, but after a visit with her family, Ebony felt like she had a good clue as to his identity.
The next time Nutmeg came over to check on her data, she said, "I think I've figured it out."
"Figured what out?" Nutmeg squinted at the numbers, trying to figure out what Ebony saw that he wasn't.
"Their father. I think I know who he is."
Nutmeg looked up from the computer, his blue eyes wide. "Ebony, listen -"
"I know you can't tell me if I'm right, but hear me out. You've met my sister-in-law, Blueberry, right?"
"Obsidian’s wife, real ball buster lawyer for Soiled Rights. Scary woman."
"Right. Well, she came over the other day with my parents, and I noticed that Onyx is the exact same shade of blue as she. Blueberry has a brother who was visiting when you would have been collecting volunteers for the project, and he's always asking Blueberry about the babies. It has to be her brother!"
Nutmeg sighed. "There are plenty of Berries with Onyx's exact shade of blue, Ebony. By Berry, I'm the same shade of blue. Why can't I be the father?"
"Because your father would kill you." Ebony crossed her arms, back to square one. "I did think about you the first time you held Onyx, but your family is so entrenched in A.🐸🐸🐸🐸 that I knew that was a stupid idea. Besides, your coloring was a mutation. Your whole family is shades of bronze, browns, and rusty reds. If you had been the father, I would more likely have a brown baby than a blue one."
"You really understand the genetics of Berries, don't you?"
"Obviously. That's why we're doing this, right? To find out if Soileds are Berries on a genetic level." Ebony smiled. "And I don't know everything yet. After all, there are no teal Berries in my family tree, but look at Licorice and Jet."
"Anyway, Blueberry's brother is not the father. Believe me, I would not ask you to put that woman's DNA any more into you family tree."
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Despite being the son of the leader of A.🐸🐸🐸🐸 and expected heir, Nutmeg was great with the kids. While he spoiled Onyx a little more than Granite, it wasn't obvious to the kids. Ebony did notice that he'd hold Onyx a little longer, but he never ignored Granite. Granite, though, seemed to think the sun rose and set on Nutmeg and toddled after the man once he could walk.
Onyx, however, was enamored with Merlot. Ebony found it hilarious how her children followed her coworkers around the house, offering half-eaten cookies to the "Daddy" of their choice. Nothing she said could get her twins to not call Nutmeg and Merlot "daddy", and she had no way of telling them gently that they might never meet their real father.
It did not seem to matter. The two men took to helping out whenever they came by. Nutmeg was wonderful with teaching the twins how to talk and basic learning skills while Merlot helped during the horrible potty-training months.
<a href="http://steffstarsim3.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/2-4c-merlot.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-675" alt="2.4c Merlot" src="http://steffstarsim3.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/2-4c-merlot.jpg?w=500" width="500" height="375" /></a>
“You're so good with the kids,” Ebony told Merlot. “I'm surprised you don't have any of your own.”
“I helped raise my siblings and most of the little kids in my village. Everyone helped out. For a long time, I honestly thought I had ten mommies and daddies.” He smiled. “We really take that 'It takes a village' adage to heart.”
Nutmeg and Merlot both offered to babysit when Ebony was invited to her parents' anniversary party. It was nice to get out of the house for a little while and not have to worry about the twins. After she made sure Merlot had all the numbers needed in case anything went wrong, she left. Going home was always a bittersweet. She loved her family, but she couldn't help but feel cramped in the house whenever all siblings were present.
Well, almost all. Sable declined the invitation. Everyone tiptoed around the subject of what she was doing now. It was times like this, when the topics were clearly being averted, that Ebony could tell how her family really felt about her life choice of being a scientific experiment. No one talked about it. No one asked about her work. Everyone pretended it didn't exist.
<a href="http://steffstarsim3.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/2-4d-talk-with-jet.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-676" alt="2.4d talk with Jet" src="http://steffstarsim3.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/2-4d-talk-with-jet.jpg?w=500" width="500" height="375" /></a>
“I really wish you didn't pretend that once I leave this house, I don't exist,” she complained to Jet. “Mom, Dad, and Obsidian are the only ones who visit me. You and Licorice barely even call me anymore.”
“I don't feel comfortable with what you do, Ebony,” Jet said. “After all Dad did to keep us safe from the likes of the A.🐸🐸🐸🐸, you go and place yourself right into their hands. And for what? Just to be another test tube for them?”
“That's really crude. I'm doing really good work, Jet. We've finally isolated the genes associated with color. We're just a step away from breaking the code as to whether Soileds can be classified as true Berries.”
“And then they'll kill you. Really, Ebony, how can you be so stupid? You could have gone to Sugar Valley to do this. Why stay here?”
“Because my family is here. It's easy to go someplace where I'd be more accepted, but to stay here and prove my worth was harder.”
Jet sighed. “You know we worry about you. I don't want to wake up some morning, crying because they firebombed your house again.”
“I'm being very careful. I promise you.”
**Author's note: I will be able to, hopefully, update twice a month. Please give me at least two weeks before asking for another chapter. They will be out the first/last week of the month and around the 15th. Sooner if I can type them up faster. The heir vote for this legacy will be in chapter 6 or 7. Earlier if I need to pause my game if the direction depends on the heir.
I have three new chapters on Wordpress, if you're interested. :P
<a href="http://steffstarsim3.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/2-5-cover.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-687" alt="2.5 Cover" src="http://steffstarsim3.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/2-5-cover.jpg?w=500" width="500" height="375" /></a>
“All I'm saying is that it's not fair if she doesn't go!”
Ebony sighed as Merlot and Nutmeg argued in her kitchen. While she agreed with Merlot, she knew it was hopeless. Tonight was the banquet in honor of her most recent discovery. They had proven that the color gene for Soileds was in regular Berries, even if their families never showed the gene before. It was recessive, but there nonetheless. By this discovery, Ebony proved that Soileds were just normal Berries.
The banquet, however, was a no-Soiled zone. Despite being the one to make the discovery, she was not allowed to enter. Thus, the argument in her kitchen.
“I want her to come, too,” Nutmeg said, “but rules are rules.”
“Isn't this kind of segregation something her brother and father are fighting against? How can you allow it?”
Nutmeg sighed, looking over at Ebony for help. Ebony stepped between the two men. “I may not be there, but I have the two of you to speak for me,” she said. “This will all pass someday. If not in my lifetime, then in my children's. Just go and be happy for me.”
Merlot grumbled, but eventually allowed Nutmeg to drag him out of the house. They came back later that night to show off their fancy duds. Onyx and Granite had no idea about the politics in motion around them, and cheerfully hugged Merlot and Nutmeg.
Left alone with her kids, Ebony set to work on putting them to bed. They had grown and would be starting school soon. She opted to have them homeschooled with a tutor. It wasn't because Granite wasn't allowed in school, but she did not want to put her son through what she experienced. There would be no sadistic teachers who enjoyed forcing him to write about how those who looked like him had died in the past. There would be no kids waiting after school to chase him to the bus, chanting anti-Soil slogans. There would be no one handing out brochures to Onyx, either.
As she tucked her children in bed, she found herself remembering the first time she met Nutmeg. He had gone to some special school outside of town and only came back to Twix Brook during the summer. It was by the public pool where she first met Nutmeg, and it took her a long time to ever trust him after that.
Ebony and her brothers wanted to go swimming but a huge “NO SOILEDS ALLOWED” sign prevented them from entering the public pool. They stood outside the gate, wistfully watching the others have fun. Nutmeg and his friends spotted them, and the teasing began. Ebony and her brothers ran from the pool. A few days later, she was passing the pool again, this time on her way home from the store.
“Hey! Soiled! Did you want to go swimming?”
Ebony looked up to see Nutmeg and his friends standing at the gate of the pool.
“No. I need to get home,” she said.
“Well, I think you want to go swimming,” Nutmeg said. With that, he lobbed a water balloon at her. The water smelled funny and she ran home before they could throw any more at her. Later, she realized the water smelled funny because it was chlorinated. He had drenched her with pool water, and that was the closest she ever got to swimming in the pool.
Ebony didn't hate Nutmeg for what he did as a kid, and he seemed to have grown up to be a half-way decent person. They didn't meet up after that until she was brought onto the Soiled Project, and Nutmeg never mentioned it.
It made Ebony wonder what Merlot was like as a child. Had they met then, would he have been as accepting as he was now?
A few hours later, as she was turning off her computer and about to get ready for bed herself, there came a knock on the door. Not expecting any guests, and a little wary of what this town could throw at her, Ebony peeked out of the window. She was surprised to see Merlot standing on her doorstep.
“Merlot? I thought you were at the party.” She opened the door and immediately got a whiff of the strong drink on his breath.
“I couldn't stop thinking about you,” Merlot said. He swayed on her porch and Ebony helped him inside. “I don't think it's fair what they did to you.”
“I'm used to it by now,” Ebony said. A bit fearful that their talking downstairs would wake the kids up, she led him upstairs. Though nothing existed up there but her bedroom and the new bathroom. At least it would be harder for the kids to hear them. “Merlot, I know life isn't fair, but I can't expect it to change overnight. I can only hope that my kids have a better life and their kids an even better one.”
Merlot swayed a bit, his hands in his pockets. If it weren't for the fact he was drunk, Ebony would have thought he was embarrassed or scared. “Ebony, I never thought about how others lived until you. I want you to have the best life available. I want you to experience the freedom I had growing up.”
Ebony smiled. “That's really sweet, Merlot. I didn't have a bad childhood. I had loving parents and protective brothers. I got an education. It may not have been perfect, but it was good.”
“Was it really good enough? Don't you ever wish for more?”
She shrugged. “Yeah, I guess. I mean, who doesn't wish for more. There are days I wish I were a normal Berry who could have any job she wanted, marry, and live a normal life.”
Merlot grinned. “You want to marry?”
“Yes. It hurts that my kids will never know their father.”
<a href="http://steffstarsim3.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/2-5a-merlots-move.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-688" alt="2.5a Merlot's move" src="http://steffstarsim3.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/2-5a-merlots-move.jpg?w=500" width="500" height="375" /></a>
Merlot looked like he was about to say something before he launched himself at her. Ebony gave a squeak of surprise seconds before he planted a kiss on her lips.
“I love you, Ebony. I want to marry you.”
“Merlot, you're drunk. Ask me again when you're sober.” Not that she believed he'd remember.
Merlot started planting little kisses down her neck. “I'm not that drunk. I know what I'm doing.”
“And if I say no?”
“Then I'll stop. I promise.”
Ebony sighed. She had two choices, and neither one appealed to her. She could say stop, trust him to be a gentleman, and live the rest of her life wondering if he really did desire her. Or, she could say yes and possibly have him hate her in the morning. All for one night of possible bliss.
Merlot pulled back, and she could see the reasoning intelligence behind his dark eyes. “Ebony, do you want me to continue?”
She weighed her options. Should she? Shouldn't she? Would she ever have the chance to be with a man she felt attracted to, and who seemed to be attracted to her.
Finally, she looked at him. “Yes.”
<a href="http://steffstarsim3.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/2-5b-confusion.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-689" alt="2.5b confusion" src="http://steffstarsim3.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/2-5b-confusion.jpg?w=500" width="500" height="375" /></a>
It was everything Ebony ever hoped it to be. Merlot, despite being drunk, was a kind and compassionate lover. Later, as he snored peacefully on her bed, Ebony sat on the floor thinking over what had happened. On one hand, she regretted nothing. For as long as she shall live, she would always remember this night. On the other hand, she did not relish the idea of Merlot waking up and realizing what had happened. She feared the oncoming anger and accusations. Could they work together after this?
She slept on the downstairs couch and was eventually awakened by her kids, tugging on her arm and demanding breakfast. She got up and started making pancakes when Merlot made his appearance. This was punctuated by Onyx jumping up and squealing his name before hugging him.
“Morning,” Ebony said. “Did you sleep well?”
Extracting himself from Onyx, he smiled. “I slept wonderfully. You?”
“Pretty well.”
“Mommy slept on the couch,” said Granite.
Merlot motioned for the kids to sit at the table. Ebony stiffened when he stood behind her.
“About last night...” Merlot started. He sighed and continued, “Did I really tell you that I love you?”
“You did, but I understand you were intoxicated.”
“I kind of wanted it to be more romantic when I said those things.”
She stopped making the pancakes. “You're not mad at me?”
“Why would I be mad at you? I'm more angry at myself for botching this up.” He leaned on the counter. “You do not deserve a man who comes in reeking of stale alcohol, proclaiming drunken words of love. I wish I could hit rewind and give you the declaration you deserve.”
“I thought you'd be mad at me for, you know, taking advantage of you.”
“Well, again, I wish I had been sober. But, we can always try that again.” He winked at her, causing her to smile. While she finished the pancakes, he went over to the table and talked to the kids.
As they were finishing up, the door opened and Nutmeg stormed in. He motioned immediately for the kids to leave the house. “I need to speak to your mom and Merlot privately. Go out and play.”
Having never seen Nutmeg in a temper, Onyx and Granite scampered outside. Nutmeg waited until he was sure they were not in listening distance before turning on Merlot and Ebony.
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“What in Berry's name were you thinking! We saw the whole thing!” Nutmeg stomped over and pointed a finger at Merlot. “I told you time and time again, hands off Ebony!”
“She is not yours for you to order me like that,” Merlot said.
“Nutmeg, what is going on?” Ebony tried to move between the two men, but something told her that was not a good idea. If it came to blows, they could hit her.
Nutmeg glanced over at Ebony. “He wasn't supposed to ever make love to you. I knew for a while now that his eye was straying to you, but I never thought he'd be stupid enough to jeopardize his career!”
“What are you talking about? How could last night jeopardize anything?”
“What if you get pregnant again? What if something happens? We have no data on Merlot to predict anything with the babies.”
Ebony frowned. “But we know that Soileds are genetically just Berries. What would it matter?”
“Everything matters when you are part of an experiment! He just threw a monkey wrench in the works!”
Merlot tried to calm Nutmeg down. “I will not regret last night. I wish it had been more romantic, but that was my doing. I will never regret loving Ebony.”
“You may regret that,” Nutmeg snapped. “Our superiors are not happy with your. How can you maintain a scientific mind if you are drooling over the specimen!”
“I happen to be a person,” Ebony cried.
“Our superiors can just shove it,” Merlot said. “I love Ebony. I will always love Ebony. I want to always be with her.”
“Too bad she's property of the Science Department,” Nutmeg said. “She has less freedoms than you know.”
“Still a person,” Ebony said between gritted teeth.
<a href="http://steffstarsim3.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/2-5d-merlot-fired.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-691" alt="2.5d Merlot fired" src="http://steffstarsim3.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/2-5d-merlot-fired.jpg?w=500" width="500" height="375" /></a>
“As for you, Merlot, the decision came down after watching your display last night.” Nutmeg pointed at Merlot and spoke the fatal words. “You are fired.”
Yeah, it's easy to guess when I don't have a huge cast. I'll try to get to yours soon. I haven't had the time to do a lot of reading lately.
<a href="http://steffstarsim3.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/02-onyx.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-696" alt="02 Onyx" src="http://steffstarsim3.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/02-onyx.jpg?w=500" width="500" height="375" /></a>Onyx Crush:
While just a child, she nearly lost her mother to the offshoot group, Kill All Soileds (KAS). Right after, her world was turned upside down as her grandfather on her father's side swoops into her life and decides that she needs a proper Berry education. Her mom and stepdad tried to keep things equal between her and her siblings, but the pull of her grandfather's life started to become too strong. Believing that she could do a lot of good on the inside of the elite Berry world, she places herself in her grandfather's hands. A better education, a better chance at a job, and a marriage arranged by her grandfather. At first, Onyx thinks she's living the good life. So what if there were some mysterious stillbirths and snickering behind her back? She could make a difference and she is now close to those who make the laws.
But, once a Soiled, always a Soiled. When she finds the truth of her marriage, she is devastated. Can she trust anyone ever again?
<a href="http://steffstarsim3.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/02-hycinth-shadow-crush.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-695" alt="02 Hycinth Shadow Crush" src="http://steffstarsim3.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/02-hycinth-shadow-crush.jpg?w=500" width="500" height="375" /></a>Hycinth Crush:
Like the rest of his siblings, he wants to help further the cause of Soiled Equality. Not a very political person, he and his two brothers find out about a business that might help: a home for unwanted Soileds. While Granite and Thistle travel between Twix Brook and Sugar Valley, Hycinth stays at the new building and cares for the unwanted kids with his cousin, Slate. When Slate is murdered, most likely by KAS, they all think it is a crime but have no proof. Then someone tries to kill Granite. The Crush family proceeds with caution as more and more incidents happen around the Home for Soileds. With the police not being much help, Hycinth must protect the small lives in his care and keep from being the next target.
Though not in the Heir Vote, I'll show you the other two brothers.
<a href="http://steffstarsim3.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/02-granite.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-694" alt="02 Granite" src="http://steffstarsim3.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/02-granite.jpg?w=500" width="500" height="375" /></a>Granite Crush:
Finding out who his father was nearly destroyed him. Seeing how that side of his family rejected him and only wanted Onyx made him angry. He was pulled from his rebellious teen years by a pen pal in Sugar Valley. Through his pen pal, he learns of the Home for Soileds, and makes it his mission to give all Soiled children a loving place to belong. He later moves to Sugar Valley after an attempt on his life. Part of him believes he is being a coward, but his mother insists it is a smart man who knows to not put himself in Death's way.
<a href="http://steffstarsim3.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/02-thistle-midnight-crush.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-697" alt="02 Thistle Midnight Crush" src="http://steffstarsim3.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/02-thistle-midnight-crush.jpg?w=500" width="500" height="375" /></a>Thistle Crush:
He is Hycinth's twin, and the two were very close. For all their parents tried to protect them from the horrors of the world, it was Thistle who often stood up for Hycinth when the other neighborhood kids became too cruel. He later moves to Brieport and works with a Soiled campaign there. His greatest accomplishment is being the aid to the first ever Soiled actor who appears on screen. Until this moment, all Soiled actors would either be in Soiled-only shows (not seen by the general public) or played by Berries in make-up. While the actor doesn't win any awards, Thistle and his family sees this as a step in the right direction. He later marries that actor's daughter.