Chapter 3.2: Last Stand

What would happen if I didn't come up for air? 
Jolie isn't really sure what her body would do. Would she drown? Would she somehow adjust to be able to breathe underwater? Would she go into some form of stasis? With everyone in the house asleep Jolie could find out. She could stay under until her lungs strain to breathe and then whatever comes after. She could.

Instead she decides to pull some weeds in the garden and collect chicken eggs and honey. She knows her father would miss her if anything happened. Heck, she's pretty sure everyone would be distraught if she died. She doesn't want to die but she wants to know more about how her body functions. How her species functions.

None of the chickens have an answer for her. Charles the Evil Chicken squawks loudly at Jolie's feet and turns in 3 complete circles before heading back into the coop.
"You're such a weirdo. Welcome to the club."
She is rewarded with a pinkish purple, crystallized,  rare, exotic egg.
"What am I supposed to do with this?" Jolie whispers into the coop.
Charles gives out another squawk and kicks up some hay.

"I think the chickens are going a little crazy. Or maybe they're possessed."
Vera looks up, startled, "Come again?"
"I collected a crystallized egg from the coop this morning. That can't be normal."
"What time were you up this morning? Are you feeling ok?"
"I'm fine but the chickens are weird."
"Weird how?"
Jolie gives an exasperated sigh, "Forget it. The chickens are fine. I am fine. Everything is awesome."

Vera consults with Dahlia on the deck after school.
"How was Jolie in school today?"
"Uuumm fine, I guess?" Dahlia pauses, "I was fine too by the way."
"Right. No weird occurrences, though? Aggression? Outbursts? Anything?"
Dahlia gives a loud sigh, "I said she was fine, jeez. I'm going to go try to fix the busted sink, not that anyone would ever care about what I was doing."
"Dahlia, wait!"

Vera watches Dahlia storm off and wonders how she managed to fail so royally with both her sisters in one day.

Varinia proposes an outing to Storybrook Central Park. The family has spent so many days cooped up at home that she's afraid everyone is getting a little stir crazy surrounded by the same people and the same walls day in and day out.

"It's nice to be out and about, mom. How are thing's at your house? Hopefully they're starting to calm down. Our house had a few bumps."
"Honestly, the girls have been a little irritable. I can't say I blame them. It's been a big and hectic move. Everyone's lives have been uprooted. Dahlia had just a few days left of high school and now she has to finish here. I don't think Jolie has fully recuperated from the trauma of being kidnapped. Oh, Maeve, how I miss the days of living in the little shack in the woods."
Varinia wipes at a tear that escapes the corner of her eye.
"It'll get better," Maeve reassures her. "It has to, right?"
"I sure hope so."

Ephraim is unsure about this town, his extended family, and his recent teen birthday. Things were certainly simpler when he was a child.

"It's all down hill from here," Dahlia says. "It can't possibly get better. People barely realize I exist."

"My alien powers do not get stronger with growing phases of the moon. I think you're thinking about werewolves, Uncle Roman."
"Werewolves aren't real, child. Stop reading so many fantasy books!"
Jolie sighs and tries not to roll her eyes. How could he be so blind to everything around him?

Skate party to ease everyone's woes.

Vera runs into Chuck Baughman in the park. They work together at the high school.
"Are you ready for the science field trip this weekend?" Vera asks.
"Ehh, I'm probably not going to show up for that. Saturdays are for parties not work."
"I see," Vera replies slowly. "I guess I'll see you at work tomorrow."
"Maybe."

Varinia serenades the entire park with her most special and treasured instrument.

"It's my birthday today. I'm pretty sure my family forgot," Dahlia admits. "It wouldn't be the first time."
"Happy birthday."
"Thanks."

Vera has to trek across town to see a man about a dog.

Dahlia finds herself about to experience her birthday. No one else is around.

She buries her head in her hands and sobs.

Vera's voice cuts through Dahlia's wails.
"I'm sorry I'm late but I promise I didn't forget. Happy birthday!"
Dahlia's voice shakes, "You remembered?"

Dahlia now has a cute little puppy named Spark.
"I thought it might be nice to have a familiar if you're going to focus on growing magically."
"This was very sweet of you. Thank you, Vera."

A stolen kiss in a quiet garden.

Dahlia wastes no time in finding a job. She's going to put her magic to good use and takes a career as a fortune teller.

"Eat the grains."
Charles clucks angrily and pushes the grains on to the ground.
"Starve then!"

After last night's birthday debacle Varinia is not about to be late to Dahlia's graduation.

Everyone gets dressed up in their best clothes to celebrate Dahlia.

She's left so early she has no idea everyone is gong to show up.

Everyone is there to cheer Dahlia on as she graduates with merit. Her classmates even vote her most popular. Her family cheers loudest.

Maeve insists on hosting an after party for Dahlia, Jermey, and Norman.

"This was so nice of you, Aunt Maeve."
"I'm getting up there in age," Maeve admits. "All I want is to spend my last days surrounded by family."

Maeve doesn't realize she's floating until Vera turns to walk into the house.
"What?"
Varinia casually looks out the front door and lets out a surprised sob.
"No," Varinia cries.
"Mom?"

It's too late. Grim will not bargain tonight.

Israel sneaks off to mourn his wife alone. He mentally catalogues the years they spent together and wonders how long before they'll be together again.

Chapter 3.1: Reset

So much time passes while on the road that Jolie becomes a teen. They arrive in Storybrook County on her first full day of being a teen.

The move and the new house have completely devastated the family funds. The top floor hasn't even been finished when they arrive. It's just an open air area above their heads.

Most importantly, the family arrived intact. All of the aunts, uncles and cousins arrive in Storybrook County safe and sound as well. 

Amira has mixed feeling about the new house and the new town. All this open country is a bit unnerving. No late night trains speeding past the house anymore. It is weird.

Boxes upon boxes. Items upon items. Everything of importance has made the move to the new home and now it's just a matter of finishing the rooms so that the items can rest in their new places. That will require more funds than the Van Hofwegens have at the moment.

They left Twinbrook right after Vera's young adult birthday. She didn't even have a chance to figure out what she wanted to do with her life. It's crunch time now and she needs to decide immediately, her family needs her and the simoleons she can bring in.

At least they won't starve. The house comes with a bee keeper box and a chicken coop. Eggs and honey for all. Yum!

Vera unpacks as much as she can before it gets too late. As the day approaches a close, she has made a decision and rides off to fulfill her destiny.

Dahlia and Jolie meet Vera at the school.
"I might as well make sure you two get enrolled," she says.
"I can't believe I have to go to a new school. I have less than a week left before I complete my credits," Dahlia whines.
Jolie wrings her hands in worry. "Is this going to be safe?"
"Don't worry, Jolie. I'll be here with you everyday," Vera assures her. "I won't let anything bad happen."

"We made the right decision," Claude says. "Staying would have meant destruction for all of Twinbrook."
"How can we be sure that this place will be different?" Michael asks.
"We can't be sure," Varinia chimes in. "but the alternative wasn't an option so we have to do our best to make this work."

While everyone else is freaking out about jobs and funds and this huge move and freaking ALIENS, Jolie makes dinner. She needs to feel useful instead of this impossibly heavy, stone-like guilt that sits squarely on her chest and makes it hard to breathe.

The move has already had severe impacts on her extended family. Aunt Leila and Gilberto broke up. Bruce and Diana have been having fights regularly. They have barely settled in to this town and everyone is talking about how often Diana and Bruce are at each other's throats. To top it all off, Edwin has become an insufferable bully. No one is safe from his torment.

Amira spends the night casting concealment charms and protection spells over her daughters. She can't get rid of the sinking feeling she's had since Jolie went missing back in Twinbrook.

In the middle of the night, Jolie finds herself on the back deck. She's not sure how she got out here or why but she feels oddly refreshed and rested for her first day of high school.

Vera checked in on her every hour at school. Michael is waiting for her as soon as she gets home.

"How did it go?"
"It's high school, I guess," she says. "It went okay, classes and teachers and other students. No one bothered me or stared but then again the room was full of weirdos. A couple of them had wings!"
"Don't call them weirdos," Michael scolds.
"I'm a weirdo too so it's ok."
"You're not a weirdo," he insists.

Jolie just stares at him with her unblinking, coal black eyes.

"So you want to focus on your powers?"
"I think I could make a big difference in the witch community if I dedicated more time to my skills," Dahlia admits. "As soon as I'm out of high school I'm going to focus on my magic. This seems like the perfect place to do it."
"There are plenty of resources for you in Storybrook," Claude agrees. "Certainly more than you would have had in Twinbrook."

Dahlia wastes no time and begins practicing.

"I know this was the best thing we could do but I feel like a giant saucer is going to pop out everywhere I go. I can't shake the feeling that they're still on to us."
Amira nods her head, "Me too. I don't know if our magic is going to be strong enough to protect us."
"What happens when she moves out? We're not going to be able to protect her."
"Let's just hope we make it till she becomes an adult and then we can worry about what comes after."
"I can't lose her, Amira. I can't."

"We won't, I promise," she says as she pulls him into her arms. "I promise."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Jolie Van Hofwegen
Frugal
Light Sleeper
Slob
Vegetarian

There you have it, I think I've saved everyone I wanted. Sadly, this is a fresh town and there's not a whole lot of history. For story purposes anyone Claude would have known is probably dead anyway considering he's living a double life thanks to Maeve's Young Again potion.

Generation 2 still has some goals to complete. Gen 3 is taking over. Vera is our heir.

Moving Day

The boxes are packed and the trucks are loaded. These Sims are ready to move in. So excited!

Stay tuned for an update.

Maybe

It's been a while. Almost a full year. I did something interesting last night. I transferred some save files to a new computer. From those, I was able to extract the Van Hofwegens. I don't want to get anyone's hopes up BUT I'm going to try to place them in a new hood and see how they fair. I really miss them.