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Unloved: A Sims Story by orenjiAi

orenjiAiorenjiAi Posts: 569 Member
Hi! I'm orenjiAi15!

I've posted a few of my works (builds and some of my game's happening) on these forums but I've always wondered how my life would've been if I didn't take that architecture degree and just went with my other true love: writing. You see, in my life I've come up with a few "short story" ideas: five specifically. These ideas never got past the drawing board (aka my mind) and/or past a few IRL friends. They are in the early stages of development and always stay that way due to lack of time and will to take them further. To compensate, I usually play them out in The Sims.

Today I bite the bullet to find out if anyone would actually pick up my work. Here are some of my stories: complete with Sims illumination! I guess you can call this a storytelling showcase of my game(s). If you do read them, please offer some constructive criticism since I would really like to get better.

Thanks in advance! :)

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Unloved

Synopsis: Inspired by 乙女ゲーム (otome games) or Japanese dating simulators, Unloved follows teenage orphan Elia who was adopted into the former Royal Family. Far from her unloved years in the orphanage, she finds herself in a grand chateau in a sleepy town where she realizes everyone now seems to love her?!? Or do they love her newfound status and money?
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Genre: Slice-of-life, Coming-of-age, Romantic comedy, Reverse harem
Status: ACTIVE
Last Updated: November 12, 2022
Index:

Season 1
Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4
Episode 5
Episode 6
Minisode 1
Episode 7
Episode 8 - Acts 1 & 2
Episode 9
Episode 10
Episode 11
Episode 12
Episode 13
Episode14
Episode 15 - Acts 1 and 2
Episode 16
Minisode 2
Episode 17

Season 2
Episode 18
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Post edited by orenjiAi on

Comments

  • orenjiAiorenjiAi Posts: 569 Member
    edited September 2020
    I started a new playthrough based on otome games or Japanese dating simulators. In these kind of games, the end goal is to develop a relationship with any one or sometimes all of the “conquerable” romantic interests. Which honestly is not unlike the trashy romance dramas I put my sims through. Except of course that otome games are actually visual novels that follow a preset string of events instead of my sandbox playstyle. With multidimensional characters, personal development, and an actual story to boot... Anyway!

    Unloved 1

    It all started at the San Myshuno Children’s Home. This is Elia (blonde toddler out front).
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    She doesn’t know how she ended up at the orphanage; all she knows is she’s been there longer than anyone else. Every time they have "guests", "mother" makes them line up, and a lucky kid gets "loved" into a family. But guests came after guests. A child gets loved after another. And yet Elia remains in the orphanage unloved.
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    It's not that she was unlikeable. She was a sweet, kind girl. It's just her eyes—a vivid purple—throws off any potential parents or friends. It was piercing and humbling. Feelings everyone was uncomfortable with. Everyone except her "younger brother" Adriel.
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    Adriel is a fun-loving and sunny young boy. He doesn't shun Elia away and he's always ready to brighten up her mood when she's feeling unwell which had been an awful lot lately.

    Not considering her eyes, Elia is almost of age now too. Not many are looking forward to rearing adolescents. Mother says teenagers who do not get adopted after 18 are kicked out of the system and into the streets. She can, of course, continue to live at the Children's Home but she has to work for it now. Not that she'd like it; according to the cook, the matron can be such a b*sh to other employees sometimes.

    One day the Children's Home got an interesting call. The parent was looking to adopt a blonde teenage girl—one with violet/purple eyes.
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    Wanting to get rid of Elia soon (she too finds her eyes intimidating and she was losing money on raising her too), Mother ignored the oddly specific request and immediately made arrangements for a visit.
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    The mysterious guest came after sundown as heavy rain poured.
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    Elia was helping Adriel clean up dinner when she was summoned. The cook happily announced, much to her surprise (and Adriel’s worry), that she might get adopted soon. In fact, the guest is requesting her presence in the drawing room right now!
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    Elia puts up a nervous smile as she enters the room, straightening her uniform, eager to impress her potential parent. She was expecting an elderly couple, or a middle-aged spinster who desperately wanted someone to dote on...
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    Instead, to her surprise, it was a handsome, dapper, gentleman—perhaps only a few years older than herself. He bolted right up and charged at the sight of her. Elia didn’t have time to react as he reached out and slammed his left hand into the wall just above her ear. He lowered his face into Elia’s and looked her straight into her eyes.
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    Elia felt a fluttering sensation rising in her stomach. She wondered for a second what she was doing in the drawing room and why she was pinned against the wall. She found herself unable to breathe. She wasn’t even capable of thinking to push away the strange not-so-gentleman. She just leaned against the wall unblinkingly staring back into his eyes.

    “Uncanny...” she heard him say under his breath breaking the awkward situation.

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    Oddly, she caught herself standing upright. And him a few feet away. "Pardon my intrusion, my lady," the gentleman whispered to her with a wink. In a louder, more dignified voice, he addressed the other two women. "I am your humble servant, Robert Dubois, emissary to the Royal Thebes..."

    Elia couldn't make out the rest of his speech. She was still thinking about what happened earlier. Her heart was racing but she didn't know why. Maybe she's not used to being looked at. After all, people always averted her gaze. And then here comes this guy; looking into her souls with his dreamy grey eyes for a solid minute or so.

    "Y-you can't just take her!" a shrill voice cut through her thoughts.

    It was Mother. She was still firmly seated in her chair but there was a hint of panic in her face. And her despair was evident in her voice. "W-what about...m-my investments, huh!? I spent a fortune keeping her safe! A-and there's also the...the legal process! You haven't even done the paperwork!"

    "Ahh yes, compensation," Robert said calmly. "I believe this should be enough to reimburse your expenses."
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    He slammed two bags full of money onto the table. Mother was at a lost for words; so was Elia as she felt her jaw drop.

    "As for paperwork, our lawyers will visit your office in the morning." he continued curtly, "They shall see to it that everything is legally taken care of. Now then."

    He turned to Elia and asked her, more gently, if she needed assistance in packing her things.

    Elia shook her head. She didn't have many stuff to pack in the first place. All she has is her uniforms and that one too-large "nice" dress that Mother only lets her wear when the media visits around Christmastime. In five minutes, a black car, the longest Elia has ever seen, rolled into the Children's Home's driveway. "This is all so surreal", she said to herself. So many were the thoughts going through her head that she didn't even know what she should be thinking! She was sure of one thing, though. She's no longer the unloved! In fact she's getting adopted tonight!

    Mother and the cook saw her off—as they do with all the other beloved children for show—even though it was raining and late at night.
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    As Elia took a step into the limousine, Robert offered her a posh coat and a fuzzy hat. ("You might get cold in here."). Elia looked back and saw confused kids' faces peering through the front doors of the orphanage. She had hoped to see Adriel to wave him goodbye but he was nowhere to be found.

    Elia woke up to the sound of tapping on the limo's windows. She sat up and saw they had stopped. They were parked in front of what she thought looked like a museum. What an odd place to take a toilet break! The chauffer helped her off the car and up the steps of a large oaken double door.
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    The front doors opened and she walked into a dimly lit chamber. It was early in the morning and rain was still pouring heavily outside. A single candle was the only source of light inside and it barely did enough. The doors closed behind her as soon as she walked in. She jumped when a voice said in the darkness,
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    "Welcome home, my princess."
    Post edited by orenjiAi on
  • ShaymanthaShaymantha Posts: 769 Member
    Omg kev i could never write something like that :open_mouth: Mine would sound more like a bad fanfiction or something! :joy: You have more talent than you give yourself credit for man! The pics are awesome too with the way you got the camera angles of your builds was like watching it as an actual tv show. Loved how daunting the Chateau entrance was too nice touch XD My fav part would be poor Elia and her fluttering heart in the scene with Robert though I think my heart would be beating for another reason if a stranger did that to me! :joy:

    Excellent start my friend will look forward to your next installment :smiley:
  • orenjiAiorenjiAi Posts: 569 Member
    Lol @Shaymantha yeah! I’d have personally straight-up clocked said stranger. But in the romance sims universe (this is quite literally a Sim game after all), these are cliche heart-throbbing events meant to develop your relationship with a character. You don’t see the choices coz I made them already and it’s in storytelling mode. Lol
  • ShaymanthaShaymantha Posts: 769 Member
    orenjiAi wrote: »
    Lol @Shaymantha yeah! I’d have personally straight-up clocked said stranger. But in the romance sims universe (this is quite literally a Sim game after all), these are cliche heart-throbbing events meant to develop your relationship with a character. You don’t see the choices coz I made them already and it’s in storytelling mode. Lol

    Hahahaha too right about the sims universe XD
  • orenjiAiorenjiAi Posts: 569 Member
    Unloved 2


    Elia twirled one more time in front of the mirror.
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    Robert gave her brand new clothes to wear. It was a light cotton shirt dress which he paired with a woolen, powder blue, oversized knit jumper dress and grey ankle boots. She thought it looked very posh and its fabric felt amazing. She marveled at the well-dressed girl in the mirror; refusing to believe it was her reflection.

    "Is it not to your liking? I am terribly sorry, my lady. This is the best I am capable. I am not up to date with how youth today are dressed. I shall ask for the governess tomorrow, she'll—" Robert apologized.

    "Oh you don't have to! I like it very much! Honest!" Elia struck a pose. "See, looks good, right? uwu!"

    Robert chuckled a little and it made Elia very self-conscious. She can feel the heat rising up to her cheeks as she realized how stupid she must seem right now. She was balancing on one foot with both her hands on her cheeks. And that noise she made! Ugh! She quickly turned away from Robert, scared that he might see her glowing red from embarrassment. She and Adriel used to act silly like that. Adriel's face was rather expressive and Elia had a very shallow sense of humor. It gave them something to keep their minds off the hard chores that the cook made them do or how jealous they were of the Beloved children. But Robert isn't Adriel. He was her adopter's representative. And although he smiled when he looked at her, she thinks he was rather frightening. So she thought it best to compose herself around him.

    "I have a surprise for you." Robert said as she turned around to face him again.

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    Elia was ecstatic. Presents are something she's only ever seen on the limited time that Mother allowed them to watch TV. She found out normal people receive gifts on special occasions. But it wasn't her birthday. It was only July, too; far too early for Christmas. Yet she was already getting a present! Getting all giddy, she hastily ripped the wrapping paper and looked inside.

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    It was a smartphone.

    "I already installed a ringer app on it." Robert explained, "Visible intercoms are not allowed by the Historic Commission in the chateau, but this should be sufficient. This would be our modern equivalent of a butler bell. Should you need anything, please use this to call for me and I shall attend to it."

    Elia would've been overjoyed—all teenagers wanted a smartphone after all!—except she doesn't know how to use one.

    * * *

    After a hearty brunch, Elia asked Robert.
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    "When do I get to meet my adoptive parents?"

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    "My lady, you are not adopted. This is your true family. You have been reunited."

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    "You are a Thebe. A descendant of the famed Princess Cordelia."

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    "The last one."

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    "The family prides itself as having been a pivotal part of history. A prominent clan of wisdom and leadership."

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    "But, as you may have observed, the monarchy is no more. It hasn't been since the 19th century."

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    "So your father preferred normalcy. He was sick of the rules, the pretense, the restrictions of a time long gone. So he escaped and he took you with him. The mistress, your grandmother, was furious."

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    "She disowned him but willed to take you back and give you the life that had been denied of you. She had been searching all this time. She gathered clues of your whereabouts. It is how I came to find you. But alas, she did not live long enough to see you come home."

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    "You are Elia Thebe. The last of a great family. Royal blood flows in your veins, the color of your eyes [and the DNA test results that came this afternoon] tell so."

    * * *

    A storm was rolling in on the cove that evening. But the tempest outside pales to the unrest that Elia feels within her. Elia sobbed uncontrollably.
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    All her life she had dreamed of being adopted. Of finding a home that will love and care for her—as she would for them. But this afternoon's revelation just made it clear that she was still alone. Rather, she felt more alone than she ever was. Maybe the orphanage wasn't that bad as she thought it to be? Unlike in the orphanage, the chateau didn't have Mother and the cook to keep her busy from too much thinking. It didn't have Adriel to cheer her up when she was down. And the chateau didn't have the sounds of the city or children playing and fighting in the next room. Here was only silence.

    Or so there was until her smartphone rang. It was Robert.
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    He called to check up on her; asking for things she might want before she turned in for tonight. ("Do you need some more blankets?" "Aren't you scared of the storm?" "Would you like something to snack on?"). It was so annoying it was comical.

    "Alright. If there isn't anything my lady wants right now, I shall be taking my rest then," he said.

    "Good night, Robert. I'll see you in the morning."

    "Oh and my lady,"

    "Yeah?"

    "I will always be here for you."
  • ShaymanthaShaymantha Posts: 769 Member
    Omg the feels! :bawling: That poor girl being all alone with the creep Rob! I feel so sorry for her and she not even real. :( Think you should change your rl career :joy: Fantastic 2nd chapter really setting the tone for the rest of your story good job my friend :smiley:
  • orenjiAiorenjiAi Posts: 569 Member
    Thanks @Shaymantha! Also Rob is not a creep, he's just...not around others too much. I will expound on that in upcoming chapters :wink:
  • ShaymanthaShaymantha Posts: 769 Member
    Lol i see sorry @orenjiAi i just found him creepy in the first part :joy:
  • mercuryfoammercuryfoam Posts: 1,156 Member
    Ahh this is such a relaxing read! 😊 I'm glad you decided to pen your stories on the forums! Can't wait for the next part.

    @Shaymantha you're not alone feeling that way. I thought Robert was intense at first too. But looks like he's simply socially awkward. I'm riding on too much good vibes and positivity from the story so Robert gets a pass. 😄
  • ShaymanthaShaymantha Posts: 769 Member
    Phew glad i wasn't the only one @mercuryfoam :joy: Guess i can let him off :smiley:
  • orenjiAiorenjiAi Posts: 569 Member
    A guest! 😯 Thanks @mercuryfoam for reading my story! I’m really grateful! And I’m sorta glad that readers have this impression of Robert. Hehe
  • LegacySims2017LegacySims2017 Posts: 5,226 Member
    I’m lurking......so may no respond much, but am reading. 🙂

    I like the image shots and your designing. Your house has that nice Victorian look to me.
    Visit LegacySims.net!
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    (Twitter Me: LSims2017)
  • orenjiAiorenjiAi Posts: 569 Member
    I’m lurking......so may no respond much, but am reading. 🙂

    I like the image shots and your designing. Your house has that nice Victorian look to me.

    Thanks! Lurkers are very much welcome too! :)
  • orenjiAiorenjiAi Posts: 569 Member
    Unloved 3

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    The faint rattling and ringing of Robert's smartphone broke the silence in the attic. Usually, he woke a few minutes before the alarm went off but today it beat him. He felt an unfamiliar laziness stirring within. He almost did not want to get up. But he had a lot of chores to do. He was the Royal Family butler after all. And he already knew what he had to do.

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    Every day, Robert spends a good 17 minutes getting prepared. He climbs down the chateau’s wooden service staircases in three. Takes five to boil the water. And another 10 to steep the tea. It leaves him with 25 minutes, plenty of time, to fix up a light breakfast, before the chatelaine, Mistress Adelaida Thebe, goes to breakfast at 6 o’clock in the morning,

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    To his surprise, however, she was already at the tea salon.
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    “Dear Robert,” she said. “Would you care to join me? There is something I want to discuss with you.”

    The Dubois family had always been by the Royal Thebes’ side from time immemorial. They were stewards, noblemen that managed for and cooperatively ruled with their royal counterparts. They were more like advisors and less than servants. So a Thebe consulting a Dubois as equals would not have been uncommon, instead it was expected.

    Or at least that was how it was in the mistress’s head. The truth, however, is that the Thebes (along with the Dubois) have been reduced to “old money” families after the Great Sloth Invasion when the monarchy was abolished. Robert knows well that his Dubois social status has zero bearing in “real” life. But still he continued working for the Thebes despite what his family had to say about “modern slavery”. The pay was good, the tasks were doable, and it keeps a [castle] roof over his head. The mistress was kind and motherly too. On top of those, she taught him art, culture, history, and etiquette—all those rich people classes he could never otherwise afford. Where else would he find such an opportunity in this sleepy town?

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    Mistress Thebe’s purple eyes were puffy. Either she had been crying or she barely had enough sleep or maybe both. Across her, Robert saw several boxes full of documents, records, and letters; placed on the chairs, and tucked under the table out of immediate sight. She sighed, ignoring the tea he set out in front of her.

    “I don’t know what to do anymore, Robert. All these information about Antoine. They are important leads, but they have been...leading us nowhere. Perhaps it’s futile to search for those that don’t want to be found. but—”

    “Mistress, if I may, these investigators are nincompoops, why I would—”

    “But,” she continued, effectively silencing Robert’s “what ails me would be the Whittaker kid.”

    “What has he done now?” Robert asked as he toughened up.

    “He’s scheduled an ocular with the National Historic Commission on the fortnight...”

    “But we’ve made sure to go above and beyond every preservation rule!”

    “And social services...” she snickered “He says that an ‘old fart’ like me is unfit—quite literally—for the role of chatelaine. And he is right, this dated architecture is unfriendly for the elderly and disabled. His goal is to have me removed from Capeside and into some home for the aged, I assume. He’s also legally entitled to the property too. With him being the first son of the branch family. Who knows what vested interest he has for the place? But rumor has it he wants to hand it to the government—make a museum—like they did with the Von Haunts.”

    “But if we find Antoine?”

    “Antoine can do whatever he wants with it. He’s not that different from the Whittakers, honestly. They prefer to move forward. Throwing their fates at the uncertain when they could’ve already settle here. Princess Cordelia Thebe built this as her summer home. It’s their last stronghold before the Great Sloth Invasion. But much more than some heritage site, this was my home, and my father’s and his father’s father’s. I’d hate to lose it to some Hogan’s Deep Fried Diner. But if someone should benefit from the place, I’d rather much my own than them.”

    “I won’t let Whittaker! I’ll find Antoine! I’ll make him change his mind! I have my own investigators! Much better than these riffraff! I’ll find him for sure!”

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    Mistress Thebe was impressed by Robert’s enthusiasm. But those are grand promises and she knew better than to hold on to some slim hope.

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    Instead she revised her will. The entire estate will go to Antoine’s child, should he have one; else, it goes to charity with Robert managing as chatelain.

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    Robert wondered if he’s doing the right thing. He thought the mistress had some very personal matters. Should he be really getting involved with their family affairs? They were Thebes after all and he was a Dubois. Right. A Dubois, a successor of the great steward family, he justified in his mind. He knew what to do and called his investigators.

    “Hello?”

    * * *


    Late in the afternoon, Robert had some good news for his mistress. Coupling the leads from his and her investigators, he had found out Antoine’s whereabouts. Unfortunately, Antoine turned out to be worse than he imagined. Having apparently amassed a huge debt from a failed business, he sold his then-infant daughter to some child trafficking syndicate under the guise of an orphanage in the San Myshuno Spice District. Despicable! Fortunately, there are only 23 Children’s Homes in that area. He can arrange for an adoption for his mistress, and if he ever runs into the syndicates, he has prepared § 1 million’s-worth of mark money to pin them.

    He knocked on the door of the study and told her what he knew.
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    Back at the chateau, Robert hurriedly dumped some of his mistress' clothes on the bed. He chose several clothes based on their fabric quality and wearability and packed them all into a suitcase. She was likely cold in that hospital gown and she’d ask for warmer clothes. And she might be thirsty too. He made his mind to pick some fruit juice on the way back to the hospital. He wanted to be there when she wakes up. He wanted to apologize for what happened.

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    On his way back to the car, Robert felt his phone vibrate. It was an unlisted number. His heart skipped a beat. He picked up the phone.

    The nurse on the other end apologized and gave the details of his mistress' passing. There had been a complication on her surgery; an infection. They had done everything to save her, but her fragile health gave out. The time of death is 3:42 AM. He dropped the line before she finished talking and exhaled. He had been holding his breath the entire time.

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    Slowly and silently, Robert walked back inside the chateau. He found himself at the tea salon. He looked around aimlessly. He felt like his head was floating several feet off his shoulder. Then something caught his eye. On the table they were talking at earlier this morning, her undrunk tea was still sitting. The plain white mug was glinting in the flickering candlelight its liquid content dark and unreflecting. He held it on both his hands. It had gone cold from being left in the open air. The mistress prefers to drink her tea at a certain temperature. 173 degrees Fahrenheit. She said the flavors were extracted most at that heat and it was when it tasted best. He thought it to be nonsense and preferred his drinks piping hot. He didn't even like tea.

    Robert let out an anguished scream. He stood up and threw the mug by the fireplace where it smashed into a thousand pieces. Tea spilled everywhere filling the salon with a sweet jasmine scent. He grabbed the nearest chair and flung it across the room. Why did he have to tell her? Why did he even think it was a good idea? If he had just minded his own business. If he had just washed that darn mug. If he hadn't been foolish enough to believe it might make her happy. Then she would still be here. She would give him an earful about the wasted tea being left to cool. He wouldn't be vandalizing 18th century porcelain. Or worrying about the tea staining the wood parquet. He would be apologizing by offering her a fresh mug of tea. He would serve it with scones and orange marmalade. She would forgive him and they would be drinking it in that same salon talking and laughing about something stupid like tea temperatures. But instead, he was the only stupid one: screaming and sobbing, curled up on the floor. There is no forgiveness. She was gone.
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    Robert lost track of how long he was crying in the tea salon. It must've been quite some time as most of the candles have burned out. He stood up gingerly as he felt pins and needles on his sleeping leg. He knew what he had to do; he was the Royal Family butler after all. He would be going into the pantry for vinegar to treat the wood stains. He hoped there weren't any dings on that chair he threw but he would get some walnuts to fix any scratches too. Then he noticed the box of files and clues for Antoine that his mistress left behind. Indeed, he knew what he had to do.

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    Robert rang the chauffeur.

    "Will? Pack three days' worth of clothes. Bring the limo. We're going to San Myshuno."
  • ShaymanthaShaymantha Posts: 769 Member
    Omg poor Rob! :bawling: Now i just wanna hug him lol
  • mercuryfoammercuryfoam Posts: 1,156 Member
    Oof 😥 Adelaida's heart problems gave out at an unfortunate time. Robert shouldn't beat himself up like that but too often the bereaved will feel guilty during the loss of a loved one. I know I have. He's buried it now, but I hope he can move on and forgive himself. He's a good soul.

    Im glad Robert's PIs are more competent than those initial investigators. Can't help thinking those guys must've got bribed. 😶 She's right there!
  • orenjiAiorenjiAi Posts: 569 Member
    Thanks for reacting to Episode 3 @Shaymantha and @mercuryfoam! With storytelling like this, my biggest fear is always not having to get my character's emotions across to the reader with my amateur writing. lol

    Don't worry about Robert. He's a strong-willed soul. He's the Royal Butler. He already knows what he has to do. :blush:

    I don't wanna spoil too much, mercuryfoam, but you're absolutely right!
  • mercuryfoammercuryfoam Posts: 1,156 Member
    @orenjiAi I don't know about amateur. :o Stories need not be professionally written to be enjoyable for me. There's a lot more that's conveyed through writing, including how much the writer loves their work and that's the beauty of yours. And I didn't think your writing is amateur in any way either, mind you. I'm thoroughly enjoying your storytelling and you conveyed Robert deeply. Even if you think you didn't, you're only going to get better from here. So don't worry about skill when you're honing it anyway. 🙂
  • ShaymanthaShaymantha Posts: 769 Member
    @orenjiAi I don't know about amateur. :o Stories need not be professionally written to be enjoyable for me. There's a lot more that's conveyed through writing, including how much the writer loves their work and that's the beauty of yours. And I didn't think your writing is amateur in any way either, mind you. I'm thoroughly enjoying your storytelling and you conveyed Robert deeply. Even if you think you didn't, you're only going to get better from here. So don't worry about skill when you're honing it anyway. 🙂

    Couldn't have said it better myself @mercuryfoam :smiley: Though i am terrible at writing reviews I do admit :joy:
  • orenjiAiorenjiAi Posts: 569 Member
    edited October 2020
    Unloved 4

    “You should’ve just waited for me at the chateau, my lady.” Robert reprimanded Elia. It was cool and foggy and the sun had not completely risen yet. He believed that Elia should be in bed but she snuck out to go after him on his early morning grocery run. He immediately caught her though as he turned to lock the gates. Against better judgment, he let her tag along.
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    “No way are you leaving me to stay alone in that place! Not after you showed me Lady Adelaida’s tomb!” she protested.
    “It’s a good five-minute walk away from the house! In the woods!”
    “That house is haunted I tell you! Besides, I don’t have anything else to do there. The rooms are locked, the TV reception’s bad, and I’m still figuring out how to use this thing you gave me.” she said as she brandished her phone.

    Elia tried to keep up with Robert’s pace. He wasn’t walking very fast but he, unlike her, didn’t want to waste time looking around. Instead, he walked to the community garden, then straight to the spice shop, to the butcher next, and then the fish vendor last. She also noticed that he spoke very differently to the villagers than when he was talking to her. He sounded curt, less friendly, and he used a deeper voice. She assumed he must be speaking a different Simlish dialect too. She wondered how many sides there were to Robert she had yet to meet.
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    Elia had never visited the town before as her first few days had been drenched in rain. But today had been a good day. And as the sun rose, she found the quaint village, with its roofs and treetops painted golden by the light, breathtaking.
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    “Now that shopping’s done, what would my lady say to a village tour by yours truly?” Robert asked with a wink about an hour later.

    Robert asked a help take his groceries directly to the chateau. Meanwhile, he and Elia walked the cobblestone streets of Capeside for a second time. Unlike the first, however, he was pacing his footsteps with Elia's. He was actually showing off the town to her; stopping by to explain landmarks and taking the picturesque route instead of the shortcuts they walked in earlier. Elia learned much about Capeside during their stroll. She found out it was an authentic medieval settlement built about a quarter of a mile away from the chateau. It’s proximity to the Princess’ summer home, along with its well preserved structures, earned itself a Heritage Site status (and funding) from the National Historic Commission. It has two village squares, Upper and Lower Capeside and it had been the old town center before it relocated to Sable Square in Brindleton Bay.

    Robert stopped by an old well at the edge of Upper Capeside. "This is the Whispering Wishing Well," he started to explain.
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    Elia squealed at how romantic it was. She got excited at the concept of a wish getting granted over some petty change. She turned to Robert and asked him to spare a coin to drop into the well. At first, he scared her with Capeside folklore of people being cursed and getting exactly the opposite of what they wanted. He made it very clear to her later that he was pinching pennies and that he found it to be a waste of money. Eventually, he gave in and gave her a single Simoleon coin. She threw it high in the air, glinting in the daylight before it fell down into the waters below with a funny bloop.
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    Elia half expected some reaction from the well. But nothing happened. So she quietly wished for sunnier days ahead. She knew from Robert earlier that it almost always rains in Capeside. She didn't hate the rain but she definitely preferred when it was sunny as it had been today. She liked how different a little precipitation changed the scenery. Without it, Capeside was livelier, happier, almost like a fairy tale. But most of all, she could walk in town with Robert and she would love to go again next time.

    On their way back to the chateau, Robert insisted they take a different route. He wanted to show her the cove, which he knew was impossible to be seen from her room. They walked along the creek and headed downstream on creaky wooden walk-ups. The sound of clear cascading waters grew fainter as Elia heard the growing sound of the ocean waves crashing on the shore. Soon enough they were stepping on sand and Elia was greeted by a large fine beach with picnic tables, grills, and benches. In the far left, she can see a pier at the foot of a steep hill. On her right, Robert pointed their chateau to her atop a jagged rock cliff. She could barely make out its white stone face hidden behind a grove.
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    After some time playing in the water, Robert led the way home. They were having a playful conversation. Robert was bragging about the Thebe's private beach being better and how they should have a picnic on it when the weather was good as it had been today. Suddenly, he became silent and stopped in his tracks.

    Robert was glaring. But he was so excited a while ago. How can anybody switch their moods so fast? Elia was confused. She looked in his eyes' direction and saw a small shack. It was, there was no other word for it, ordinary. A tiny, normal, weathered rest home for some fisherman. Several lobster traps were neatly stacked out front. A TV satellite dish nestled on its roof shingles. And fishing equipment were hung to dry on its walls. There wasn't anything special about it. Yet it drove Robert to unrest.
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    "Just what do they think they're doing!?" Robert said irritably. He stomped towards the front door, fists clenched.
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    Elia suddenly realized what was so wrong about the house. Compared to everywhere she's been the past few days, it looked the most normal. And it looked that way to her because it was the most modern. It didn't have the grandiose of the Chateau de Thebe. Or the medieval quaintness of Capeside. It was just so unremarkable it stood out in Robert's perfectly preserved slice of history. And he was offended by it. For some unknown reason to her, he assertively maintained the Historic Commission's rules. He had never seen him so mad and discomposed. He looked like he was about to punch someone.

    Elia threw herself in front of his path. She sloppily tried to reason with him. Said she was tired from all their walking. And that she wanted to go home. Now.
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    "You just rest out here, my lady. I'm just going to take a look." Robert said through a forced smile. To Elia's disappointment, he banged on the door so hard it swung open, slamming loudly against the wall. He stepped inside and took a quick look. There was nobody.
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    Robert stormed out of the shack leaving Elia on the porch. He was still visibly upset but she was only relieved it had been empty. She can only imagine what confrontation would have happened if he had found somebody inside. She turned to follow him, unaware that the front door opened again.
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    It all happened in a flash. All Elia remembers is hearing somebody scream. But Robert managed to quickly pull her out of the porch and out of the attacker's reach. She could only watch as both men threw and avoided each other's punches.
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    Robert emerged from the fight victorious. He landed a square punch on the assailant's jaw, knocking him dizzy. He groaned and fell near Elia's feet. Before he lost consciousness, he lied on his back and had his face up towards the sky. Elia looked down and instantly recognized him.
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    "Adriel?!"
    Post edited by orenjiAi on
  • orenjiAiorenjiAi Posts: 569 Member
    Thanks for your kind words @mercuryfoam and @DeafSimmer. :) It made me really happy and encouraged me to keep on writing. And @Shaymantha, my friend, you tried lol

    I pushed out Episode 4 early, just in time before the game updates and becomes unplayable tomorrow. :sweat_smile:
  • ShaymanthaShaymantha Posts: 769 Member
    Aww she'll be glad to see him again a familiar face 😊 ☺ though maybe not that way of reuniting! Loved the part where Rob loses it over that hut shows his passion for preserving a slice of history thats so dear and part of him. Really enjoying this story and I'm not the best for reading usually! 🤣 Great job @orenjiAi and also well done for getting it up before update!
  • mercuryfoammercuryfoam Posts: 1,156 Member
    Oooh! Her "younger brother" is out here and not at the orphanage? What happened? Did the orphanage shut down because Robert exposed its shady child trafficking front? Did Adriel runaway in search for his "older sister"? How'd he build a hut though? Has that much time passed? If he didn't build it is he squatting? Did he rent it? Where'd he get the money? Dem evil cliffhangers!

    I also can't help thinking that Adriel is naked with how you positioned the pictures lol :no_mouth:
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