Yes, his eyes are different! His eyes in the prologue were brown. As I’ve been writing new chapters, I’ve made changes to what Alex looks like. So, it’s not just metaphorical, the Alexander Goth in my story has been slowly becoming someone different.
Not sure how I can go into details about Bella and Cassandra… They might not have been aware of anything Mortimer was planning. It’s possible that enough time has passed that they aren’t around anymore.
The bio for the Sims 4 Goth Family leaves a lot to interpretation.
What I do know about Goth Family Lore is that Goth Family Members have died under mysterious circumstances and there was a storyline that implies Mortimer murdered Bella…
After a quick search to refresh my memory, there was an instance in a game where the Goth home had six graves that belonged to family members. They are a mysterious aristocratic family shrouded in themes of magic and other supernatural phenomena.
But, as Damion mentioned, he feels like he did the world a favor by capturing Mortimer’s Soul. Alexander didn’t just end up in Davy Jones Locker by accident either. So, I am trying to stay true to some of the darker themes associated with the Goths.
@Ellupelluellu oh, I forgot to respond to this. My merfolk will never get body hair. I actually have the setting turned off. That’s an intentional choice. Body hair actually creates something called “Drag.” In the swimming sport, drag is resistance swimmers experience in the water that makes swimming more challenging and slows down the speed you can swim.
Swimmers often remove body hair before major swim meets and the practice can actually increase the speed you move through the water. That’s also why swimmers wear swim caps. The hair on the human body does not help a human swim better or faster.
Did Damion pull essence from Alex? Like his power, or something? His ability to take human form, maybe?
I don't trust the elemental troll one little bit.
I mean, there is a part of Alex that has been removed from him… kinda like his other half…
But, Damion just drenched Alexander in water and forced him to transform. A human form isn’t a merman or mermaid’s natural form. You could say that merfolk can naturally change their form because their element, water, can change form.
But, the purpose of a human form is simply to get around on land.
All my merfolk have a few weaknesses:
1. If any merman or mermaid gets soaked enough for long enough, they get forced back into their natural form. The Expanded Mermaid’s Mod Sensitive Scales Weakness.
2. Staying in a human form does cause my merfolk discomfort. Over time, the discomfort does get more unbearable. So, my merfolk actually need to return to the sea. After all, their human form is unnatural and the product of Magic. The Expanded Mermaids Restless Fins Weakness.
3. My merfolk won’t eat fish. They are subject to the idea that fish are friends. And you don’t eat your friends.
4. If my merfolk do find a way to tolerate the increasing discomfort while trying to stay in their human form. All of my merfolk are subjected to the Call of the Sea Weakness. My merfolk will grow depressed staying away from the sea for too long.
I love these weaknesses because they reinforce the idea that my merfolk aren’t human, they actually need to be in the sea more often, and using their human form, essentially taking an unnatural form, hurts them if maintained for too long.
FYI: As far as I know, the Expanded Mermaids Mod does allow merfolk to hide their tails in the water, but any and all attempts to hide their tail becomes increasingly uncomfortable with the restless fins weakness.
The only two mers that have extra weaknesses are Damion and Arihi.
I gave them both the Moon Spell weakness and Damion the Sea Terror Weakness. The idea is generally that, because both of them have an Elemental nature, they can lose control of their mermadic powers when they are in moonlight.
Damion’s extra weakness results in him having a tendency to drown other swimmers. Not that drowning humans would bother him. 🤷♂️
I did end up turning Damion’s boyfriend, Caleb Vatore, into a merman 🧜🏻♂️ so that he could be immune to drowning. Damion and Caleb have an interesting relationship. Caleb most definitely doesn’t approve of Damion’s cruelty, but at the same time, Damion does need to be cruel because of his Shadow Elemental Responsibilities. None of that excuses how he treats Alex.
I can’t emphasize this enough. Damion is no one’s friend and thrives on other’s misfortune. Damion’s only soft spot is Caleb.
After the sun set, Alex finally regained some control over his ability to take human form. He didn't hesitate to dive into the sea and swim to Copperdale City. For a human, it was an impossibly long swim, but for a mer, it was a relatively easy swim that didn't take long. When Alex arrived at the Auditorium, he got lost in thoughts about spending time with Ember.
'I can't believe I'm actually doing this. Here, in a place humans gather!'
'This almost makes everything worth it!'
But, before Alex could join the celebration, a whirlpool of water surrounded him and he got pulled away.
'What's going on? I thought he would leave me alone?'
A rainstorm blew in from the sea, and Alex quickly became drenched in it. The rain forced him to change back into his natural form. As Alex's legs gave way to his tail, he landed hard on the cold pavement.
The sudden downpour made it impossible for him to regain control of his shapeshifting before prom ended. The rain was simply too heavy. He would be lucky to take a few steps before getting forced back into his true form. If he had his parents and uncle's power, it wouldn't have been as big of a problem. But, Alex was too young and inexperienced to help himself out of this situation.
'My luck is terrible. I'm definitely going to miss prom!'
'It's no use trying anymore.' Alex thought. He watched his tail as it waved and floundered on land. 'What was I thinking? This... going to prom with humans... I took this too far. Now, I'm stuck on land, far away from the sea. I can't call for help and there's no one that knows where I am that can help me.'
Hours after prom ended, Alex regained his human form and went in to see if anyone was still there. The only person that remained was Ember. She looked furious.
"How could you humiliate me like this? And in front of so many people!"
Alex was confused by her sudden outburst. He knew that he was late, but he didn't know how he humiliated her.
"And look at you! Dressing like an islander after doing so much to insult islanders and island culture!"
"Honestly, I feel like I don't even know who you are anymore. We are so done!"
Alex couldn't believe what he was hearing. He wanted to scream if he could.
"Why so flustered? Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about."
Alex gritted his teeth and gestured.
"You have no right to be angry!"
Alex gestured how he had no idea what she was talking about. With every gesture, he tried to insist that he didn't do anything wrong.
"Honestly, I'm not even going to try and understand you anymore. You're a foolish merboy anyways."
Alex felt defeated, but he stayed to listen. What else could he do?
"I know you went to Damion. I'm sure you made a deal with him. I've had some time to think, and maybe, you aren't as kind as I thought. I thought that maybe you wanted to really get to know me, that you cared about how I felt. Well, congratulations, you'll live for eternity without your voice and alone."
Alex was speechless. Not just in the literal sense. He couldn't even think of a response to her words. More than anything, her words cut him deep.
Alex took one deep look at Ember, hoping this was all a nightmare. But, he knew this was real. Ember looked into his eyes and saw the bright blue of the sea. She realized that she made a huge mistake, but she couldn't take back what she said.
Ember tried to step closer to Alex. She wanted to apologize, but Alex's face said it all. She hurt him in ways she never meant to.
Alex turned his back and silently walked away. There was nothing he wanted to say to her anyways, not anymore.
Ember left in a fury and Alex ended up alone outside the Auditorium.
'Things couldn't get any worse.' Alex's legs gave out and he fell to the ground. 'Of course, I forgot that it was raining.'
'You know, I probably deserve this. I'm sure of it. I'm the one that went to him. I lost my voice to get to know someone that never felt the same way. I am a fool.'
To Alex's surprise, his dad showed up and began evaporating the water that drenched him. With Calum's help, he was able to take a human form again.
"What were you thinking?" Calum asked. His dad was calm, but Alex could tell that he was disappointed in him.
"When your mom asked me to follow you, I didn't think much of it." Calum frowned. "But, it seems she was right to be worried about you."
Alex was confused and upset that his parents were involved.
"It seems we have a lot to talk about, and explain. For once, it might be possible for you to understand now that things are different."
Earlier that day...
Later that afternoon...
That night after prom...
"There's a lot of work to do. I wonder who will be first to join my collection."
"First, we want you to understand that we still consider you our son, and nothing will ever change that." Calum started to say.
"But, there's something we've all wanted to tell you. Something that would have been impossible for you to understand until recently. We didn't keep this a secret because we wanted to." Calum continued.
"The thing is, you are a merman born from Davy Jones Locker. Most merfolk are born from sea foam and the song of their parents." Arihi explained. "But, for any mer that comes from Davy Jones Locker, things are different..."
Arihi paused, trying to choose her words carefully. "Merfolk from that dark place are normally overwhelmed by the corruption from those depths. Even more so if they are a soul reborn as a mer."
"The truth is, you were originally born a human. Your original father, he tried to sell your soul to Damion in exchange for wealth and power. It wasn't the first time that he sacrificed a family member for personal gain. I couldn't watch him continue." Arihi added.
Alex made a gesture that his parent's instinctively understood.
"We know it wasn't right for us to not tell you, but we had a good reason for not telling you." Calum explained.
"Your human father succeeded in taking your human life. I wasn't able to stop him, and your soul, it wasn't the same." Arihi continued.
"As a water elemental, I've seen many souls get lost at sea, but I've never seen one get as torn up like yours was. The darkness that found you lost at sea was nothing that you deserved. So, I did the only thing I could do." Arihi really didn't want to remind herself of the past, but she wanted her son to know the truth.
"While it was impossible to restore your human life, it was possible to give you a new life as a merman. Your mom saw the good in you. And she didn't want to see it get lost to something outside of your control." Calum said for Arihi.
Alex wasn't happy about the secret, but he could sense how much his parents cared.
"There were a few things that made explaining anything difficult." Calum held up his hand and counted on his fingers. "First, your soul was severely damaged. A part of you was still lost to the darker depths, and your mom tried to seal it to protect you."
Alex looked to Arihi for answers.
"The part of your soul that we couldn't save... It contained the darkness from your human life and the memories of your past. If we tried to explain anything, things wouldn't be able to connect because that darkness would prevent you from being able to understand. For a long time, you and your shadow had a very strong connection, a connection it could use to free itself from the abyss."
Alex felt a mix of frustration and appreciation for what his parents did for him. But still, none of it seemed like a good enough reason to not say anything to him.
"I know it's confusing, and it probably doesn't seem like a good reason to keep it a secret. But, we thought that, if enough time passed, the connection would weaken and we could tell you without any risk." Calum said.
"And there were signs of change, we felt very confident that we would be able to tell you soon."
"You were finally becoming whole, and it made us so happy. With a little more time, the connection between you and your shadow would have been severed. It would have lost its influence over your memories, and it wouldn't have a way to escape Davy Jones Locker."
Alex thought this was all well and good, but he had a feeling that things didn't work out that way.
Alex gestured for more information. He wanted to know more.
"Unfortunately, things didn't turn out exactly the way we hoped it would." Calum explained. "Your connection with your shadow is severed, but..."
"It freed itself from Davy Jones Locker." Arihi finished explaining.
"Your shadow can't influence your memories anymore, but it's also a malevolent entity. It's not exactly a good thing that it's free to act on its own free will."
"We know we have no right to ask anything of you after keeping everything a secret, and we will answer any questions you have in the future. But, we need you to continue watching over your brothers while we figure out how to deal with this thing that escaped."
Alex frowned. He had a lot of questions, and his parents still explained a lot. He wondered if they noticed that he couldn't speak yet. Maybe they just thought he was choosing to stay quiet and listen.
"I know you can't speak. I know you went to Damion. I heard what that girl said. And, I'm so sorry that you felt like you needed to go to him for anything. If there was a way for us to give you back your voice, we would have done it days ago." Calum apologized.
"Right now, our first priority is making sure you and the twins stay out of harms way and nothing else happens to any of you." Arihi said. "One day, there may be a way to help you speak again. I'll search every ocean for a way, but that thing, your shadow... it's dangerous."
Even after everything his parents' said, he still couldn't remember his human life. But, he could make better sense of some things that were said to him in the past. Alex's face lit up. He was foolish for going to Damion, but he still had a family that loved him and cared about him. He couldn't turn down their request.
Alex nodded and made a promise to himself. 'I'll make sure the twins stay safe.'
"Alex, this means the world to us." Arihi said. "You and the twins are everything to us."
"Even your Uncle Reef is helping us. He's patrolling Wayfarer's Atoll. He's very good at identifying and dealing with danger." Calum said.
"So relax. We've got this."
Alex felt at ease. Despite the dangers, his parents gave him comfort. He couldn't imagine what he would do if anything happened to them.
Reef was patrolling the beaches around Mua Pel'Am. He was the peacekeeper in the family. When his two brothers fought over whether or not humans were bad, he was the mediator that kept the peace. If there was something that threatened his own sons or his nephews, he wouldn't hesitate to make sure they were safe. If there were two words to describe Reef, they would be "Protector" and "Unlucky."
Reef had a feeling that something very dangerous was nearby, but before he could react, he was hit with a curse that also silenced his voice.
Dazed and confused, Reef kept walking under the influence of the curse that was cast on him. Alexander was amused by how easy his first capture was.
Alexander teleported back to his lair in Ohan'Ali town. He didn't want to spend too much time around Mua Pel'Am. The one being that truly threatened him lurked in the shadows there. He made sure to take his prize with him.
Alexander's lair was a Goth Villa in Sulani. With the help of magic and hacking into the funds of the Goth Family, he quickly set up his operation in the basement of his new home. He remembered his life in the Goth Family. He remembered what Mortimer did to him. But more than anything, he wanted revenge against his other half, the one that got a life he never got. For Alexander Goth, he lost everything. He would make sure his other suffered the same fate.
And, while he hunted merfolk, he would sell whatever endangered species he found on the black market.
He wouldn't stop with his other's family. He would make the one that lurked in shadows suffer. He was the one his father made a deal with. He was the reason Mortimer took his life.
To keep his guest comfortable and amicable, he had one last spell to cast.
"Despairo Deliriate" The magic wove around Reef and he slipped into an enchanted sleep.
Alexander checked his to do list. He still had quite a bit to do before he could relax.
He took a moment to admire his growing collection. He hated merfolk. They had slimy scales and belonged in the abyss. Keeping all merfolk locked up was his greatest aspiration. Without them, he could exploit the sea and no one would care. No one could stop him if he succeeded.
'One day,' Alexander thought. 'One day they will be a myth only found in storybooks.'
I wasn't expecting that revelation about Ember. Alex is adapting about as well as it's possible to without a voice. Ember did go too far in confronting Alex, but there is so much about his situation that she doesn't know because he can't explain it. I do hope they can work things out. I was really confused with the ending of chapter 6. It didn't take long to piece it together though. That is a very literal interpretation of we are our own worst enemy. I'm looking forward to more updates!
@DaniRose2143 I worried that the twist would be confusing. Especially after I established a few things. I did try to weave doubt into it, and I was hoping that Alex’s conversation with his parents would help explain a few things.
I definitely took a chance with Chapter 6.
I’ll kinda try to explain some of where my ideas came from. I’m hoping for feedback because this is a very good opportunity for me to learn and grow.
The prologue was just a way to introduce the characters. Its purpose was to capture the reader’s attention and mostly be a bit of fun.
But, while playing the gameplay for the prologue, there was an interesting development that occurred that I wanted to explore. You see, I ended up with a shell that contained Alexander Goth’s Soul and a living Alexander. The way I kinda saw it with my creative mind was that the process of Alexander becoming a Merman created 2 Alexanders.
I also did try to have multiple characters imply that Alex was different, that his situation was different, I had Kemps, Damion, and his Parents express different things.
I also know that I made the point of saying that Alex couldn’t remember his human life, or if he was told about it, the pieces wouldn’t line up. I kinda felt like I needed an explanation as to why it would be so difficult to explain things to him.
Finally, I think no one would have been expecting his own parents to stop him during his date at prom. I think everyone expected it to be Damion that would have gotten in his way.
I’m hoping that Chapter 7 does some good explaining how things changed. Alex still can’t remember his past, but he is able to understand what people have been saying to him about his past now.
I don’t know. These were some of my thoughts and I definitely appreciate anyone that gives me feedback.
I’m definitely going to be able to write chapter 8, but I will have to delay chapter 9.
Let’s be honest here, Alexander is moving very quickly and taking out some very powerful individuals rather quickly, don’t you think?
But, maybe he needs to catch them by surprise and do everything he’s doing before they can react.
I plan on having chapter 9 be a full display of mermadic powers, so my biggest challenge for writing Arihi’s chapter is having the option to use all her powers. I honestly don’t know how long it’s going to take to figure out why some abilities aren’t appearing as options when I try to use them.
I thought the part where he kept switching forms was either him not having fully mastered the ability or that it was Damion. I wasn't sure which it was. It never occurred to me that it was his parents. It makes absolute sense now looking back.
What threw me and made the ending to chapter 6 so confusing was the shell containing Alexander's soul. My mind told me that was the shell with Mortimer's soul and I couldn't figure out how someone who looked like Alexander had it. Again I missed that detail. I think it makes sense. In order to be 'reborn' as a mer without any memory of being human Alexander would have to become someone else altogether. His memories would remain in his old body.
@DaniRose2143 I’m happy it makes sense. I think Chapter 3 explains who has Mortimer’s Soul. Although, thanks to my tinkering and trying to figure out how to get Arihi to use more abilities, Mortimer’s Ghost might be harder to bring back… Same for Alexander’s Voice… when I started a new save… it did create a few complications…
Well... you asked and this is me trying answer honestly... I had no real understanding at all of what was going on in Chapter 6, especially the last part. Lots of pictures but not a lot of text. I didn't really understand what I was seeing... and frankly, I still don't. I think pictures and text need to support each other, with text actually being the more important part. A picture can be worth a thousand words but if I, as the reader, bring the wrong thousands words then confusion reigns.
Fate is a riddle and we choose our own answer.Wyrd Girls
@Metior_Ice
Addendum... please don't take my comments as meaning in any way that this isn't a great story. I just didn't follow where you were leading. It happens sometimes... and it's worth noting that with my health problems, my brain has gone from Swiss watch to Swiss cheese.
Fate is a riddle and we choose our own answer.Wyrd Girls
@luciusstorm Don’t apologize! Your feedback is awesome and very insightful.
It means so much that you took the time.
And you’re right, I definitely need to focus more on adding more text. I did a double take on the end of Chapter 6, I think I could have added more details.
Hopefully, I can create some clarity with future chapters.
Comments
Not sure how I can go into details about Bella and Cassandra… They might not have been aware of anything Mortimer was planning. It’s possible that enough time has passed that they aren’t around anymore.
The bio for the Sims 4 Goth Family leaves a lot to interpretation.
After a quick search to refresh my memory, there was an instance in a game where the Goth home had six graves that belonged to family members. They are a mysterious aristocratic family shrouded in themes of magic and other supernatural phenomena.
But, as Damion mentioned, he feels like he did the world a favor by capturing Mortimer’s Soul. Alexander didn’t just end up in Davy Jones Locker by accident either. So, I am trying to stay true to some of the darker themes associated with the Goths.
Swimmers often remove body hair before major swim meets and the practice can actually increase the speed you move through the water. That’s also why swimmers wear swim caps. The hair on the human body does not help a human swim better or faster.
I don't trust the elemental troll one little bit.
I very much enjoyed this chapter.
http://www.getfreeebooks.com/star-trek-original-series-fan-fiction-trilogy/
But, Damion just drenched Alexander in water and forced him to transform. A human form isn’t a merman or mermaid’s natural form. You could say that merfolk can naturally change their form because their element, water, can change form.
But, the purpose of a human form is simply to get around on land.
All my merfolk have a few weaknesses:
1. If any merman or mermaid gets soaked enough for long enough, they get forced back into their natural form. The Expanded Mermaid’s Mod Sensitive Scales Weakness.
2. Staying in a human form does cause my merfolk discomfort. Over time, the discomfort does get more unbearable. So, my merfolk actually need to return to the sea. After all, their human form is unnatural and the product of Magic. The Expanded Mermaids Restless Fins Weakness.
3. My merfolk won’t eat fish. They are subject to the idea that fish are friends. And you don’t eat your friends.
4. If my merfolk do find a way to tolerate the increasing discomfort while trying to stay in their human form. All of my merfolk are subjected to the Call of the Sea Weakness. My merfolk will grow depressed staying away from the sea for too long.
I love these weaknesses because they reinforce the idea that my merfolk aren’t human, they actually need to be in the sea more often, and using their human form, essentially taking an unnatural form, hurts them if maintained for too long.
I gave them both the Moon Spell weakness and Damion the Sea Terror Weakness. The idea is generally that, because both of them have an Elemental nature, they can lose control of their mermadic powers when they are in moonlight.
Damion’s extra weakness results in him having a tendency to drown other swimmers. Not that drowning humans would bother him. 🤷♂️
I did end up turning Damion’s boyfriend, Caleb Vatore, into a merman 🧜🏻♂️ so that he could be immune to drowning. Damion and Caleb have an interesting relationship. Caleb most definitely doesn’t approve of Damion’s cruelty, but at the same time, Damion does need to be cruel because of his Shadow Elemental Responsibilities. None of that excuses how he treats Alex.
I can’t emphasize this enough. Damion is no one’s friend and thrives on other’s misfortune. Damion’s only soft spot is Caleb.
After the sun set, Alex finally regained some control over his ability to take human form. He didn't hesitate to dive into the sea and swim to Copperdale City. For a human, it was an impossibly long swim, but for a mer, it was a relatively easy swim that didn't take long. When Alex arrived at the Auditorium, he got lost in thoughts about spending time with Ember.
'This almost makes everything worth it!'
But, before Alex could join the celebration, a whirlpool of water surrounded him and he got pulled away.
'What's going on? I thought he would leave me alone?'
A rainstorm blew in from the sea, and Alex quickly became drenched in it. The rain forced him to change back into his natural form. As Alex's legs gave way to his tail, he landed hard on the cold pavement.
The sudden downpour made it impossible for him to regain control of his shapeshifting before prom ended. The rain was simply too heavy. He would be lucky to take a few steps before getting forced back into his true form. If he had his parents and uncle's power, it wouldn't have been as big of a problem. But, Alex was too young and inexperienced to help himself out of this situation.
'My luck is terrible. I'm definitely going to miss prom!'
'It's no use trying anymore.' Alex thought. He watched his tail as it waved and floundered on land. 'What was I thinking? This... going to prom with humans... I took this too far. Now, I'm stuck on land, far away from the sea. I can't call for help and there's no one that knows where I am that can help me.'
Hours after prom ended, Alex regained his human form and went in to see if anyone was still there. The only person that remained was Ember. She looked furious.
"How could you humiliate me like this? And in front of so many people!"
Alex was confused by her sudden outburst. He knew that he was late, but he didn't know how he humiliated her.
"And look at you! Dressing like an islander after doing so much to insult islanders and island culture!"
"Honestly, I feel like I don't even know who you are anymore. We are so done!"
Alex couldn't believe what he was hearing. He wanted to scream if he could.
"Why so flustered? Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about."
Alex gritted his teeth and gestured.
"You have no right to be angry!"
Alex gestured how he had no idea what she was talking about. With every gesture, he tried to insist that he didn't do anything wrong.
"Honestly, I'm not even going to try and understand you anymore. You're a foolish merboy anyways."
Alex felt defeated, but he stayed to listen. What else could he do?
"I know you went to Damion. I'm sure you made a deal with him. I've had some time to think, and maybe, you aren't as kind as I thought. I thought that maybe you wanted to really get to know me, that you cared about how I felt. Well, congratulations, you'll live for eternity without your voice and alone."
Alex was speechless. Not just in the literal sense. He couldn't even think of a response to her words. More than anything, her words cut him deep.
Alex took one deep look at Ember, hoping this was all a nightmare. But, he knew this was real. Ember looked into his eyes and saw the bright blue of the sea. She realized that she made a huge mistake, but she couldn't take back what she said.
Ember tried to step closer to Alex. She wanted to apologize, but Alex's face said it all. She hurt him in ways she never meant to.
Alex turned his back and silently walked away. There was nothing he wanted to say to her anyways, not anymore.
Ember left in a fury and Alex ended up alone outside the Auditorium.
'Things couldn't get any worse.' Alex's legs gave out and he fell to the ground. 'Of course, I forgot that it was raining.'
'You know, I probably deserve this. I'm sure of it. I'm the one that went to him. I lost my voice to get to know someone that never felt the same way. I am a fool.'
To Alex's surprise, his dad showed up and began evaporating the water that drenched him. With Calum's help, he was able to take a human form again.
"What were you thinking?" Calum asked. His dad was calm, but Alex could tell that he was disappointed in him.
"When your mom asked me to follow you, I didn't think much of it." Calum frowned. "But, it seems she was right to be worried about you."
Alex was confused and upset that his parents were involved.
"It seems we have a lot to talk about, and explain. For once, it might be possible for you to understand now that things are different."
Earlier that day...
Later that afternoon...
That night after prom...
"There's a lot of work to do. I wonder who will be first to join my collection."
Credit for Mods:
Andrew's Studio
https://sims4studio.com/thread/2617/andrews-studio
Spinning Plumbob
https://www.patreon.com/posts/expanded-mod-2-0-78685209
https://www.patreon.com/posts/sea-nery-stuff-74793919
https://www.patreon.com/posts/atlantica-set-63764427
https://www.patreon.com/posts/70850049?utm_campaign=postshare_fan
Edit: although, I’m not sure about what you mean by cheating either?
"First, we want you to understand that we still consider you our son, and nothing will ever change that." Calum started to say.
"The thing is, you are a merman born from Davy Jones Locker. Most merfolk are born from sea foam and the song of their parents." Arihi explained. "But, for any mer that comes from Davy Jones Locker, things are different..."
Arihi paused, trying to choose her words carefully. "Merfolk from that dark place are normally overwhelmed by the corruption from those depths. Even more so if they are a soul reborn as a mer."
"The truth is, you were originally born a human. Your original father, he tried to sell your soul to Damion in exchange for wealth and power. It wasn't the first time that he sacrificed a family member for personal gain. I couldn't watch him continue." Arihi added.
Alex made a gesture that his parent's instinctively understood.
"We know it wasn't right for us to not tell you, but we had a good reason for not telling you." Calum explained.
"Your human father succeeded in taking your human life. I wasn't able to stop him, and your soul, it wasn't the same." Arihi continued.
"As a water elemental, I've seen many souls get lost at sea, but I've never seen one get as torn up like yours was. The darkness that found you lost at sea was nothing that you deserved. So, I did the only thing I could do." Arihi really didn't want to remind herself of the past, but she wanted her son to know the truth.
"While it was impossible to restore your human life, it was possible to give you a new life as a merman. Your mom saw the good in you. And she didn't want to see it get lost to something outside of your control." Calum said for Arihi.
Alex wasn't happy about the secret, but he could sense how much his parents cared.
"There were a few things that made explaining anything difficult." Calum held up his hand and counted on his fingers. "First, your soul was severely damaged. A part of you was still lost to the darker depths, and your mom tried to seal it to protect you."
Alex looked to Arihi for answers.
"The part of your soul that we couldn't save... It contained the darkness from your human life and the memories of your past. If we tried to explain anything, things wouldn't be able to connect because that darkness would prevent you from being able to understand. For a long time, you and your shadow had a very strong connection, a connection it could use to free itself from the abyss."
Alex felt a mix of frustration and appreciation for what his parents did for him. But still, none of it seemed like a good enough reason to not say anything to him.
"I know it's confusing, and it probably doesn't seem like a good reason to keep it a secret. But, we thought that, if enough time passed, the connection would weaken and we could tell you without any risk." Calum said.
"And there were signs of change, we felt very confident that we would be able to tell you soon."
"You were finally becoming whole, and it made us so happy. With a little more time, the connection between you and your shadow would have been severed. It would have lost its influence over your memories, and it wouldn't have a way to escape Davy Jones Locker."
Alex thought this was all well and good, but he had a feeling that things didn't work out that way.
Alex gestured for more information. He wanted to know more.
"Unfortunately, things didn't turn out exactly the way we hoped it would." Calum explained. "Your connection with your shadow is severed, but..."
"It freed itself from Davy Jones Locker." Arihi finished explaining.
"Your shadow can't influence your memories anymore, but it's also a malevolent entity. It's not exactly a good thing that it's free to act on its own free will."
"We know we have no right to ask anything of you after keeping everything a secret, and we will answer any questions you have in the future. But, we need you to continue watching over your brothers while we figure out how to deal with this thing that escaped."
Alex frowned. He had a lot of questions, and his parents still explained a lot. He wondered if they noticed that he couldn't speak yet. Maybe they just thought he was choosing to stay quiet and listen.
"I know you can't speak. I know you went to Damion. I heard what that girl said. And, I'm so sorry that you felt like you needed to go to him for anything. If there was a way for us to give you back your voice, we would have done it days ago." Calum apologized.
"Right now, our first priority is making sure you and the twins stay out of harms way and nothing else happens to any of you." Arihi said. "One day, there may be a way to help you speak again. I'll search every ocean for a way, but that thing, your shadow... it's dangerous."
Even after everything his parents' said, he still couldn't remember his human life. But, he could make better sense of some things that were said to him in the past. Alex's face lit up. He was foolish for going to Damion, but he still had a family that loved him and cared about him. He couldn't turn down their request.
Alex nodded and made a promise to himself. 'I'll make sure the twins stay safe.'
"Alex, this means the world to us." Arihi said. "You and the twins are everything to us."
"Even your Uncle Reef is helping us. He's patrolling Wayfarer's Atoll. He's very good at identifying and dealing with danger." Calum said.
"So relax. We've got this."
Alex felt at ease. Despite the dangers, his parents gave him comfort. He couldn't imagine what he would do if anything happened to them.
Reef was patrolling the beaches around Mua Pel'Am. He was the peacekeeper in the family. When his two brothers fought over whether or not humans were bad, he was the mediator that kept the peace. If there was something that threatened his own sons or his nephews, he wouldn't hesitate to make sure they were safe. If there were two words to describe Reef, they would be "Protector" and "Unlucky."
Reef had a feeling that something very dangerous was nearby, but before he could react, he was hit with a curse that also silenced his voice.
Dazed and confused, Reef kept walking under the influence of the curse that was cast on him. Alexander was amused by how easy his first capture was.
Alexander teleported back to his lair in Ohan'Ali town. He didn't want to spend too much time around Mua Pel'Am. The one being that truly threatened him lurked in the shadows there. He made sure to take his prize with him.
Alexander's lair was a Goth Villa in Sulani. With the help of magic and hacking into the funds of the Goth Family, he quickly set up his operation in the basement of his new home. He remembered his life in the Goth Family. He remembered what Mortimer did to him. But more than anything, he wanted revenge against his other half, the one that got a life he never got. For Alexander Goth, he lost everything. He would make sure his other suffered the same fate.
And, while he hunted merfolk, he would sell whatever endangered species he found on the black market.
He wouldn't stop with his other's family. He would make the one that lurked in shadows suffer. He was the one his father made a deal with. He was the reason Mortimer took his life.
To keep his guest comfortable and amicable, he had one last spell to cast.
"Despairo Deliriate" The magic wove around Reef and he slipped into an enchanted sleep.
Alexander checked his to do list. He still had quite a bit to do before he could relax.
He took a moment to admire his growing collection. He hated merfolk. They had slimy scales and belonged in the abyss. Keeping all merfolk locked up was his greatest aspiration. Without them, he could exploit the sea and no one would care. No one could stop him if he succeeded.
'One day,' Alexander thought. 'One day they will be a myth only found in storybooks.'
Credit for Mods:
Andrew's Studio
https://sims4studio.com/thread/2617/andrews-studio
Spinning Plumbob
https://www.patreon.com/posts/expanded-mod-2-0-78685209
https://www.patreon.com/posts/sea-nery-stuff-74793919
https://www.patreon.com/posts/atlantica-set-63764427
https://www.patreon.com/posts/70850049?utm_campaign=postshare_fan
I definitely took a chance with Chapter 6.
I’ll kinda try to explain some of where my ideas came from. I’m hoping for feedback because this is a very good opportunity for me to learn and grow.
But, while playing the gameplay for the prologue, there was an interesting development that occurred that I wanted to explore. You see, I ended up with a shell that contained Alexander Goth’s Soul and a living Alexander. The way I kinda saw it with my creative mind was that the process of Alexander becoming a Merman created 2 Alexanders.
I also did try to have multiple characters imply that Alex was different, that his situation was different, I had Kemps, Damion, and his Parents express different things.
I also know that I made the point of saying that Alex couldn’t remember his human life, or if he was told about it, the pieces wouldn’t line up. I kinda felt like I needed an explanation as to why it would be so difficult to explain things to him.
Finally, I think no one would have been expecting his own parents to stop him during his date at prom. I think everyone expected it to be Damion that would have gotten in his way.
I’m hoping that Chapter 7 does some good explaining how things changed. Alex still can’t remember his past, but he is able to understand what people have been saying to him about his past now.
I don’t know. These were some of my thoughts and I definitely appreciate anyone that gives me feedback.
I’m definitely going to be able to write chapter 8, but I will have to delay chapter 9.
But, maybe he needs to catch them by surprise and do everything he’s doing before they can react.
I plan on having chapter 9 be a full display of mermadic powers, so my biggest challenge for writing Arihi’s chapter is having the option to use all her powers. I honestly don’t know how long it’s going to take to figure out why some abilities aren’t appearing as options when I try to use them.
What threw me and made the ending to chapter 6 so confusing was the shell containing Alexander's soul. My mind told me that was the shell with Mortimer's soul and I couldn't figure out how someone who looked like Alexander had it. Again I missed that detail. I think it makes sense. In order to be 'reborn' as a mer without any memory of being human Alexander would have to become someone else altogether. His memories would remain in his old body.
Addendum... please don't take my comments as meaning in any way that this isn't a great story. I just didn't follow where you were leading. It happens sometimes... and it's worth noting that with my health problems, my brain has gone from Swiss watch to Swiss cheese.
It means so much that you took the time.
And you’re right, I definitely need to focus more on adding more text. I did a double take on the end of Chapter 6, I think I could have added more details.
Hopefully, I can create some clarity with future chapters.