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Author Topic: Xenophobia: Pride & Prejudice - Chapter Twenty-four  (Read 152076 times)
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Sam the T-man
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« Reply #270 on: June 13, 2008, 05:24:14 pm »

Urgh... Really sorry about the delay, folks. Not my fault this time, I swear - unless you count falling foul of a rogue download at least.

I got chapter fourteen (both parts) proof-read and tweaked where necessary nearly a week ago now. Can't believe it's taking me this long to sift through my folder to find whatever's been causing my game to crash lately... on the other hand, with the size of my folders maybe I can :angel: I did get a few pics; funnily enough it's the Grunt household causing trouble - whether that's the only one I don't know, but it doesn't help when that's one of the lots you need to shoot on! >_<

I'm working on it, but seeing as it's already taken me ages I can't promise how much longer it'll be, sadly Sad

On the bright side though, I've had loads of ideas for future chapters! Cheesy ... Well, I tried :angel:
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Astral Faery
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« Reply #271 on: June 15, 2008, 12:39:10 am »

Man, that must be a total pain.  I had an issue like that recently, and at the time, only had a couple of hundred downloads to go through.  I kept pulling stuff out of my game, and I still never found it.  I knew it was one of a group that I had downloaded together, so I just got rid of that whole group and I was good to go.  But even that took me over a week.  I can't imagine what a pain in the rear it must be to have a ton of downloads and this problem.  And I can't imagine how frustrating it must be to shoot on a constantly crashing lot.  Hang in there Sadie!  I hope you find the culprit soon.
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Sam the T-man
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« Reply #272 on: June 15, 2008, 01:04:53 am »

Thanks Ari Smiley Thankfully I found it - funnily enough it was only the Grunt household, so I gradually got the other needed pics done before playing Hunt The Thimble :lol: Turned out to be an invisible recolour of the obstacle course - no idea why it's only that reward that's affected, and only now, 'cause usually it doesn't cause a problem :dontknow: Oh well, the good news is I've got three out of four Grunt pics now, just working on the last and I'll be able to update, woo! :dance:
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Sam the T-man
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« Reply #273 on: June 15, 2008, 02:56:37 am »

Finally! :smt120 Bloomin' hell... Okay, before anything else, remember what I said the first time I used Lyla, and I mentioned there was something not right with the way she came out? I should trust my instincts more often... ¬_¬ There was a lot of faffing about just to get her turning out how she really was meant to look - which is very different to the first time you saw her.

Poetic licence used a-plenty in this incredibly long chapter - I'll worry about part two another time! :smt120



“I like your hair,” Olive acknowledged, “What made you change it after all this time?”
Ophelia smiled sheepishly as she decided to break it to her gently.
“Well, I figured we both needed a change,” she hedged.
“You’re including Tank in this ‘we’, aren’t you?”
“We didn’t go too mad,” she reassured her, chuckling a little as she recounted their trip, “In fact we found it hard goin’ finding clothes in his size.”
Olive nodded with a faint smile, but remained quiet after that. Ophelia frowned at her manner, and decided to press further.
“You okay?” she asked.
Olive gave a little shrug and a deep sigh before replying.
“I’ve lost a lot of family over the years,” came the sobering response, “It tends to creep up on you sometimes.”
Ophelia found herself swallowing a rising sob in her throat as she crashed back to earth. With all that happened recently; the euphoria of the festival, a new relationship, but also seeing her friend battered and vulnerable, it was easy for her own troubles to be relegated to the back of her mind. Now, talking once more about grief and loss, her legs took on a will of their own as they carried her across to the vast garden that housed Olive’s graveyard. She had a couple of visits to make.



Her eyes scanned the names on the graves as she passed them, some ringing a bell, while others left it untouched. One tombstone’s inscription rang it so hard, the sound waves rippled through her body with a paralysing force. Her jaw hung open as she read the words again, the simple epitaph touching her veins with icy fingers that chilled the blood flowing through them.



Here lies Lyla Grunt,
Mother and former army wife.
R.I.P.


“Oh my god…!” she breathed, slowly backing away. Brought to her senses as the fence behind blocked her path, she broke into a run as she returned inside, shock giving way to determination in her new quest for answers.
“Olive!!”



Olive hadn’t moved from her spot on the sofa, her head slowly raising to meet with the concerned features of her niece.
“How long has Lyla been here?” Ophelia blurted on seeing her.
“Not long,” Olive replied softly, patting the seat next to her.
Frowning at first, Ophelia took the vacant seat as she awaited whatever explanation her aunt had to offer.



“It was the night before you left for that show,” Olive told her, “One of those ‘passing vehicle drops off the luggage’ cases.”
“Oh, I see,” Ophelia acknowledged. With their cemetery holding so many of Olive’s departed family members, one or two unscrupulous people would use her as a free burial service. Fortunately for her, she was still strong enough to oblige without waking Ophelia, who would always be asleep, and with little to no idea of what happened to the poor souls she buried, all she could do was give them a respectable resting place.
“Yes,” Olive mused sadly, deciding to keep quiet the details of Lyla’s condition upon arrival. Her niece was acquainted with the late woman’s sons after all, and knowledge of her death was enough of a burden in itself.
“Great,” Ophelia grumbled, cradling her head in her hand, “How the hell am I gonna break it to the poor guys after everythin’ else that’s happened?!”



“You okay now, sweets?” Johnny asked, tucking a lock of brown hair behind Ripp’s ear as they broke away from their embrace.
“Guess so,” came the soft reply as he looked back into the green eyes of his lover.
“It’ll be okay, really,” Johnny comforted him, before glancing back at his bed. Gently tapping his arm, Johnny pulled off his shirt and watched for a moment as Ripp struggled to remove his. Johnny hooked his fingers under his black garment and slipped it off his body as Ripp raised his arms to aid him, before sadly studying the bruises still upon his pale skin.
“You want help with your jeans?” Johnny offered, noting the hindered movement of Ripp’s fingers as they remained bound by their plaster prison.
“Might be an idea,” Ripp accepted, kicking off his shoes and watching as green fingers worked at the zip. Despite the innocent way in which his jeans were removed, the tenderness in Johnny’s manner as he did so was enough to ignite a spark in the coals of his being, which had been left cold all day from the events of the previous night.
Ripp watched quietly as the green youth continued to strip to his shorts. Kicking away the garments at his feet, he continued to look on as Johnny climbed into his bed, sat up and held the covers aside expectantly. A little smile tugged at Ripp’s lips as he joined him under the bedclothes, and for a moment they laid together in silence. Ripp rested his head upon Johnny’s chest as he longed for nothing more than the sound of his partner’s heartbeat, his fingers idly exploring the contours of the toned green flesh as Johnny’s heart played its lullaby softly into his ear. The events of the day had been sufficiently demanding to the boys for them to quickly succumb to the arms of slumber, although unbeknown to them, one in particular was under scrutiny.



The woman’s eyes fixed upon the brunette mop resting on its makeshift pillow as she drifted silently to his side, a loving sadness etched upon her features as she watched Ripp continue his blissful slumber. She perched on the side of the bed, reaching out with her hand and delicately gliding her icy fingertips along his brow as she continued to study his battered face.
Ripp’s features creased a little into slight discomfort as his skin registered a cool breeze, but on dismissing it as such he remained asleep, in uncomfortable dreams that cruelly reminded him of all that had happened in the space of twenty four hours. Oddly enough, after a while they gave way to more forgiving images, that transported him back in time and into the city hospital. This time however he was far, far younger.



The blond strands of hair lay fast against the woman’s face, heavy and damp with the sweat from her brow, serving as the one remainder of her spent energy earlier on as she recovered enough to gaze fondly down at her reward. Large blue eyes peered with childish curiosity back up at her, registering not only her face but also that of a man, whose smaller green eyes sparkled with delight and affection as he smiled at the bundle in his wife’s arms.
“He’s adorable,” she grinned, watching as the reflex in the infant’s hand tightened his fingers around her pinkie.
“Just like his mom,” the man agreed, tucking a stray lock of blond hair behind her ear as she looked back at him, returning his kiss as he pressed his lips softly against hers.
Her expression then changed a little as her mind drifted back to their earlier conversation.
“You’re not calling him Ripp!” she told him.
“Why not?” came the innocent reply.
“Why not!?” she echoed in disbelief, “Why would you want to?” She chuckled as her tone became playful. “Almost as bad as Tank!”
“Hey!” came the equally light-hearted reply as he nudged her.
“I dunno, you army guys!” she teased.
“You have a problem with army guys, you shouldn’t have married one,” he retaliated with a smile.
“Touché,” she acknowledged, her eyes narrowing as she gazed back at him, “You’re still not calling him Ripp.”
“Better than Tank,” he reminded.
Her head shook slowly from side to side as she wore a knowing smile.



“Ripp!” Buzz exclaimed, “Manners!”
“What’re they?” Lyla grinned playfully in reply.
Buzz arched a disapproving eyebrow as he looked across at her. What with the mischievous sparkle in her eye, and Ripp’s childish giggling playing like music in the background, Buzz found it an uphill struggle to keep his expression serious. He gave up the ghost as he waved his fork at her.
“Now look here Missus,” he admonished with a glimmer of a smile, “You’re supposed to set an example!”
“I am setting an example,” she responded with a fond smile, “They’re both lovely boys aren’t they? No trouble from either of them!”
Buzz’s smile grew wider as he looked back at them. It was true, he had to admit; while Tank seemed to be the more boisterous of the two, there had never been any complaints from kindergarten about them. In fact Ripp seemed to be very popular with the teachers, all saying similar things; he may need a rocket up his backside, but he was already melting the hearts of any adult who crossed his path. Just a pity that the other children took that to mean he was a pushover, although Tank would often defend him in such an instance.[/I]



A tear trickled down Ripp’s cheek as the early memories flowed through his mind. Things were so nice back then… when did it all go wrong? Was it when Buck was being nurtured in their mother’s womb, or did it start before then? It was definitely more noticeable at that point in time.



“He did it again!” he shrieked in delight, pulling his hand back from her swollen belly as she chuckled.
“Sure did,” she grinned, nursing her bump, “He can hear us, you know.”
“Cool!” he observed, before turning his attentions to his unborn sibling, “Hey there! I’m your big brother Ripp! There’s Tank too, he’s not here right now…”
The smile slipped from Lyla’s face at his words as a by now familiar sound filtered through the open door. She gazed with sadness back at her son as she ruffled his hair.
“You go play for a while, huh?” she told him, “I need to go somewhere.”
Ripp cocked his head as he noted her change of expression.
“You okay Mom?” he asked as he looked up at her.
“Sure,” she smiled, trying her best to mask her mounting worry. She walked away, but Ripp followed in her footsteps as she approached the room, both watching with varying concern as they found both father and the other son.



“That’s it! Good lad!”
Ripp backed away from the sight, uncomfortably crossing his arms as he felt his stomach tie into knots. Something was happening to his big brother; before Ripp’s very eyes he was slowly starting to change. Tank wasn’t as nice anymore, and it was all driving a wedge between the two boys. Was his dad teaching him to be mean? Why would he do such a thing?
“Buzz,” Lyla chided, this time deadly serious as she approached, “The boy’s only six! There’s plenty of time for him to decide what he wants.”
“He asked what this was for, so I showed him,” came the indignant reply as Buzz indicated the punchbag, “He’s been enjoying it, haven’t you Tank?” he finished, addressing the perspiring boy by the bag.
Tank eagerly nodded in reply, his energy levels beginning to catch up with the epic proportions of his father as he bounced about on his feet. However much energy he’d already spent in training, there was plainly still more where that came from.
“What else are you teaching him, Buzz?” she challenged, seemingly reading Ripp’s mind as she stroked her swollen stomach.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked, genuinely puzzled.
She glanced at Tank, before shaking her head as she once more faced her husband. “Not in front of the kids,” she told him, “I know you’re there, Ripp.”
So saying she turned to face the little boy, who peered up at her with glassy eyes.
“I’m not silly,” he whimpered, before scurrying into his bedroom.
“No,” Lyla muttered under her breath, “In fact it’s times like this I wish you weren’t so insightful.”[/I]

Ripp stirred again in his bed, still asleep, but now something was starting to seem amiss. Where had that last part come from? He was in his room, how would he know what his mother had thought or spoken after that?



“Mom!! Mom, don’t leave!”
Lyla turned to face Ripp with a look of despair. She had hoped to slink away without him noticing, as she knew he would take it the hardest.
“I’m sorry Ripp,” she explained, “But I can’t stay here anymore…”
“But why??” he wailed, “Things can be better, please…!”
She sighed as she crouched down to his level, the look of his stricken face enough to trigger tears of her own as she reached to comb through his brown hair.
“I have tried my hardest, I really have,” she told him, “But things are getting worse, not better…”
“It’s Dad isn’t it?” he guessed, “He’s making Tank like him, they’re both so nasty to me…”
“I know,” she agreed, “It’s both of us. I don’t understand it any more than you do…”
“If you can’t stay, take me with you,” he begged her.
“Oh Ripp,” she uttered, her already broken heart losing another piece of itself as she stroked his cheek, “I don’t know where I’m going to go, I can’t put that onto you too…”
“Please Mom,” he pleaded, “I hate it there…”
“I know, sweetheart,” she conceded, “But here at least you have a roof over your head; I can’t promise that wherever it is I’ll be.”
“But…”
“I’ll stay in touch, okay?” she told him, “That I can promise.”
Ripp could only nod as he accepted her embrace, watching as the taxi left before bursting into tears. With the yellow vehicle carrying his only role model out of his life, Ripp had never felt so alone.



“Eeeeew!” he grimaced in between giggles, sloppily wiping at his mouth.
The girl who kissed him tittered as she watched, unaware that there was an underlying depth to his disgust.
“Your turn!” she hinted, running off.
Ripp watched her go, completely disinterested. He gave chase, but instinct drove him in another direction.
“What’re you doing?!” his target complained, “The girls are over there!”
“So?” he shrugged innocently.
The school whistle sounded, and a teacher came over to intervene.
“Miss!” the boy protested, “He’s trying to kiss me!”
“You playing kiss-chase?” she checked.
The boys nodded in reply, but Ripp remained at a loss as to where the problem laid.
“Ripp, in kiss-chase the boys go after the girls,” she explained, “And the girls after the boys.”
“Why?” he asked.
The teacher straightened up in reply, frowning at his question.
“What do you mean ‘why’?” she checked, “Boys don’t kiss other boys…”
“Why not?!” Ripp pressed, his voice raising in frustration, “I don’t like kissing girls, they feel all slimy…”
“You’re bound to think that at first,” she started, but Ripp adamantly shook his head.
“I don’t like it, Miss!” he decided.
“I think you’d better see the principal,” she told him, “Tell him what you’re telling me.”
“I will,” he growled as he stormed off, “And I’m gonna tell him what you said too!”



Ripp had been immensely grateful that the principal had offered such an understanding ear, listening with genuine sympathy as he presented his case. After learning that he wasn’t in fact abnormal, as the others were now leading him to believe, he had another problem on his hands. His overbearing father had already made known his feelings on the matter, and with the only chance he had to speak to his mother being in the presence of his other family, he was again feeling isolated. The principal was too busy, and everyone else treated him with contempt. With no one else to confide in, he began to wonder how he would cope, although a little while later he sought relief in the form of drum lessons. They provided one way for him to unleash his feelings at least, yet it became apparent as he grew older that they wouldn’t be enough.[/I]



The woman’s head lowered in despair as she took on board these latest developments that filtered into her mind. Realising she had much to catch up on, she cast her own unhappy memories to the wayside as she decided to probe further. She had to know how he had lived since her departure, what he had to put up with. She sensed a great desolation within his soul, which had shown itself once already in the salty waters seeping from his closed eyes. What had become of the only boy she had been able to bond with as things crumbled around their ears?
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steelguy
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« Reply #274 on: June 15, 2008, 05:03:10 am »

Oooh! I see dead people! :smt107

And the backstory is filled in... Some cute shots there. I love the one of Ripp talking to Buck.

And Olive burying random folk in her backyard for others is a bit better than killing them herself, as I always suspected but still... it's a bit dodgy, really. :smt120
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hanster
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« Reply #275 on: June 15, 2008, 08:17:18 am »

eek!
i completely love this so far
one of the best stories ive read on here i think
:happy8:
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Astral Faery
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« Reply #276 on: June 15, 2008, 09:35:44 am »

Well thank goodness!!  You must be so relieved.  But a recolor?  I wouldn't think anything would go wrong with those.

I'll be catching this chapter on your blog, Sadie.  I'll see you over there soon.
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Sam the T-man
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« Reply #277 on: June 15, 2008, 10:26:32 am »

@steelguy: LOL I said there'd be ghosts, didn't I? Wink Yeah, about Olive - given how some of them died, I find your theory a bit hard to go with. I mean, at least one of them drowned.. something else happened to Lyla, but that's part of the creative license in the story :angel: Dodgy indeed though.. :? More backstory to come too; things get pretty raunchy in part two Wink

@hanster: Thanks! Cheesy Welcome aboard, glad you're enjoying it Smiley

@Ari: I know, it's weird! It's never caused problems on my playable game (this is an AnyGame reserved for stories) - unless it doesn't like what I did to globalProps to unlock the hidden cheats :dontknow: But yeah, I'm very relieved. Means all I have to do for part two now is make sims, instead of messing about like I have been for this one. See you over there, anyway Smiley
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AxelVal
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« Reply #278 on: June 15, 2008, 06:13:18 pm »

Still love the sepia tone in the pictures.
It's always nice to have visual aid too.

I feel like I just repeat myself every time I comment because it's always about the pictures *laugh*
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Sam the T-man
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« Reply #279 on: June 15, 2008, 07:01:34 pm »

Hey, feedback on pics is important too, you know Wink

Glad you like them - did some shooting for future chapters in some places, and there's one I'm really proud of; prime example of simple but effective Cheesy
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« Reply #280 on: June 16, 2008, 12:28:02 am »

Hey I really like this story! I've only recently gotten into it - it feels like a genuine portrayal of the Strangetown folk, like it's real. As for feed back on pictures... I don't know about anyone else but the one with Ophelia walking into the graveyard was like WOW. I would kill for picture taking skills like that. Well, maybe not, but you never know... :-P
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Sam the T-man
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« Reply #281 on: June 17, 2008, 06:57:02 pm »

Thanks! Cheesy Moving swiftly on - I had to cut quite a bit from this one; if you want to read the gory details and are old enough, let me know and I'll PM you a link to the adult version. For the rest of you, enjoy! Smiley


“Jackpot,” he smiled to himself as he browsed the forum. He had conducted an online search in his bid to find others like him, confident that such people existed, and had come across a support forum for homosexual and bisexual teenagers. He hesitantly looked about himself from his seat in the school library, hoping that no one he knew – Tank especially – would happen by and notice what was on his screen, before leisurely browsing through the various threads. The site had a lot to offer, from places to vent to arranging meetings. It was during one such time that he came across who would turn out to be his first boyfriend.


They shared small-talk and stories over a coffee as they got to know each other, relaying their experiences of tolerance or discrimination and comparing notes. When it came to Ripp’s turn, he grew upset as he recounted all that he had to endure from the oldest members of his household. As innocent as he was then, he hadn’t noticed the warmth in the gaze from the boy next to him, although Ripp had shot him a sneaky glance now and then to drink in his chiselled features and flowing blond hair. His name was Michael, or Mike as he preferred to be known, and his rich blue eyes became sad as Ripp finished his story.
“Damn, you poor thing,” one of the others remarked.
“You miss her?” another asked with concern.
“Very much,” came the choked reply, “I just wish I could talk to her alone when she calls, so I could tell her everything…”
“Don’t you have a cell phone?”
“No,” Ripp replied with a shake of his head.
“Can always ask your old man,” one suggested, “Say it’s in case of emergencies – you wouldn’t be lying, that’s why my mom got me one.”
Ripp snorted as he gave a cold reply.
“Dad don’t care about me,” he growled, “He don’t even know where I am now. He never asked.”
“Hey, I’m sure he does really,” Mike soothed, nursing Ripp’s shoulder, “You’re still his son after all.”
“Not if he found out about this,” Ripp replied, his head turning to face him. Tears began to seep from his eyes, which Mike reached to brush away.
“Come here,” he offered, pulling him into his arms.


His eyes closed, blinking away more tears as he rested against Mike’s chest, drinking in his bodily warmth and enjoying his tender touch as he felt his fingers begin to stroke his hair. So long it had been since he’d felt such closeness with anyone, the warmth flowing through his own being was starting to seem unfamiliar. The blond boy began to peck his head as he held him closer, his free hand clutching Ripp’s as it rested on his lap. Ripp felt his heart begin to race as his eyes opened and his gaze lowered, watching as Mike’s hand caressed his own, allowing his fingers to stroke the lad’s hand in return before looking back into those beautiful blue eyes. Their friends wore knowing smiles, deciding now was a good time to end the gathering and leave them to it, as much as they could in a public place.
Ripp thudded back to reality as he glanced about himself. The faces passing them by were unfamiliar, but no less accusing as they watched the two boys in their embrace. Sensing his apprehension, Mike released his hand but his arm remained round his shoulder as he spoke.
“We can go somewhere else if you’d rather,” he offered, “Don’t wanna sound pushy, but no one’s home…”
Not realising the true meaning of his remark, Ripp slowly nodded in reply. All he wanted then was to enjoy his touch somewhere without getting gawped at by strangers.


“Well, here we are,” Mike announced as they stepped inside his domain, “Make yourself at home.”
“Thanks,” Ripp replied, glancing about himself but suddenly becoming a little edgy. He had never been in this situation before, and now was unsure of what lay ahead.
“You okay?” Mike asked, his hands gliding round Ripp’s waist.
“Yeah,” came the response, “I’ve just never done this before.”
“It’s cool,” Mike smiled, guiding Ripp’s arms around him before drawing him in closer, “Just relax, let it happen.”
Ripp’s breathing quickened in anticipation as he felt Mike’s breath upon his face, his eyes closing as he tasted another boy’s lips for the first time. An unfamiliar heat spread throughout his soul as he soon became lost in Mike’s arms, pulling him near as their mouths began to caress each other.


As he grew more sure in his movement, he allowed his hands to run up and down Mike’s back, tightening his grip as they shared the blaze now fiercely burning between them. Ripp grew aware of something hard pressing against him, where he was already beginning to feel uncomfortable in a strange way. Funnily enough, the pressure now upon that area seemed to ease the ache a little, even adding a pleasurable feeling that he had never encountered before. His breathing continued to increase in pace as a soft moan rose from their throats, their lips parting as he felt Mike’s mouth upon his cheek and neck. He could feel himself perspiring, the strange sensation in his cargos growing more intense as he lifted his head, granting Mike’s lips easier access to the tender flesh along his throat.
Mike’s head raised once more to Ripp’s level, his eyes smouldering with desire as his voice lowered to just above a whisper.
“You want to come upstairs?” he offered.
Ripp eagerly nodded, not knowing what to expect but ready to embrace whatever it may be.


They wasted no words once they reached Mike’s room, gripping each other firmly as their mouths once more locked together, before tugging at each other’s shirts. Mike pushed them both towards his bed and onto the mattress as he continued to ply him with kisses, pressing their bodies together as their breathing deepened. Time lost its meaning as Ripp immersed himself in the boy’s touch, enjoying the loving attentions he’d so sorely lacked at home since his mother had left.[/I]


“I don’t wish to see that, thank you!” she remarked in a light-hearted manner, watching as he stirred in his sleep. She had removed her hand when it grew obvious how far they were going, and now observed the boy with crossed arms and a playful stare as a smile flickered across his lips.
“Can I look again yet?” she asked no one in particular, leaning across to peer at his features. Upon finding the same expression she did last time she checked, she rolled her eyes and checked her watch in a mocking gesture.
“Men,” she chided with a smile, “Well, they say a man thinks about sex every seven seconds.” Her gaze flitted across to the green lad who was idly stroking his hair as they slept, and out of curiosity she investigated his memories for a moment. Her eyebrows twitched in wonder as she glanced between the two, while they continued to enjoy their very different dreams.
“Wow,” she acknowledged, her blue eyes once more resting upon the blond youth as a sadness tugged at her heart, “One year away from adulthood, and you’re the one who’s still a boy?”
Ripp seemed to settle, and to test the water she lay a finger once more upon his brow. Now it was merely his thoughts on what had happened, and to her relief they weren’t all good.

It had been nice, he admitted that much. Ripp could still picture them cuddled together afterwards as if it had happened yesterday, although even then it hadn’t felt quite as good as it could have been. Something was missing, only then of course he had no idea what. It hadn’t occurred to him at the time that Mike was mostly interested in the physical contact, even though he had plainly enjoyed his company in other ways. He was too young to realise that sex was meant to be a communication of love, and through the time that followed, he held no greater expectations of it than the gratification it offered him at the time. Looking back now, Ripp shifted awkwardly in his sleep as a rising tide of shame crept upon him. Now he knew better. Just a pity it took an exceptionally bad experience with one lad to make him realise the kind of damage he’d been causing himself.

“You’ve learned some hard lessons,” the woman muttered sadly as she continued to stroke his brow, “Haven’t you, my boy?”
The words drifted unheard through the air as she sought to explore further.


“Fight! Fight! Fight!”
Ripp pushed through the crowd of chanting teenagers in his bid to find out what this latest scrap was in aid of. His eyes widened when he recognised the now muscular form in the midst of the struggle, and grew angry as he threw himself among the grappling boys.
“Tank!!” he yelled as he pulled him off his opponent, before pushing him away, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”
“Get off!” Tank snapped, lunging forwards once more. Ripp exerted an unusual burst of strength as he forcefully shoved him backwards.
“Leave the guy alone!” Ripp snarled, “What’s he ever done to you?”
“He’s alien!” came the angry reply, “Don’t tell me you ain’t noticed!”
Ripp refused to glance behind at the blond boy in question, his attentions focussed on the youth in front of him.
“What if he is?!” Ripp challenged, “Live and let live? Don’t that mean anything…?”
“Don’t start that s*** again,” Tank retaliated, his eyes narrowing at his younger brother, “Aliens are the enemy, remember?”
“That’s Dad talking,” Ripp reminded him, “Ain’t you got your own mind?!”
Tank stubbornly shook his head in disbelief as he gazed back at Ripp. “You don’t give up, do ya?” he sneered.
“No I f***ing don’t!!” Ripp yelled back, the frustration now bubbling over as he could feel his fists clenching, “What’s happened to the real Tank, huh? You never used to be like this!”


Tank remained silent for a moment, glancing between brother and alien as the words stung at his blue eyes. Aware of this, he marched off without another word.
Ripp allowed a moment to compose himself as he nursed his brow, before a voice behind startled him.
“Thanks.”
Ripp turned to face the lad he’d saved from his brother’s wrath, noting that indeed he was alien, but still not understanding why that should be a problem. Forest green blood glistened on the boy’s lips as it trickled from his nostrils, complementing the jade sheen of his skin. His eyes weren’t the extraterrestrial black Ripp had come to expect however, his very human irises a peaceful shade of green. Nothing in his demeanour posed even the remotest of threats as far as Ripp was concerned.
Ripp dug into his pocket as he approached, pulling forth a tissue that he applied to the blond teenager’s face, soaking up some of the blood from his mouth and nose.
“I’m really sorry about this,” Ripp apologised, “As much as it pains me to admit it…”
“He’s your brother?” the boy finished with a wry smile, “Was kinda obvious from what you were sayin’.”
Ripp allowed his head to drop for a moment as the arms of despair and humiliation encircled him.
“Yeah, guess it would be,” he uttered, idly eying the emerald liquid upon his tissue. A hand laid upon his arm, and for some reason Ripp felt hot under the collar as he looked back up at him. There was a sadness in his eyes, understandable given his skirmish earlier, but there was also a kindness hinting that finally there was someone Ripp could turn to.
“I’m Johnny, by the way,” he introduced, a sheepish smile playing upon his lips as he realised they hadn’t even met.
“Ripp,” came the reply as they shook hands, Ripp marvelling at his gentle touch. “Johnny’s a cool name, wish I had a name like that.”


Johnny chuckled at his remark, before delivering his own.
“Ripp’s not bad,” he grinned, “Better than Tank.”
Ripp sniggered at his comment. “Yeah, true,” he smiled, finding himself trying to disguise the coy nature of that smile as he began to study Johnny’s features. Despite the bruises and the bloodied nose, Johnny wasn’t at all unpleasant to the eye, and Ripp was drawn to his smile and the gleam in his eyes.
“Look,” Johnny began, quickly pulling him from his happy ponderings, “If you wanna talk, I’ll be happy to listen.”
Ripp smiled with a mixture of gratitude and unhappiness as he considered his offer. It wasn’t as though he was in a position to judge after all, they were both frowned upon by the rest of society. Telling him of his orientation would be the easy part however, he mused.
“That’s very nice of you,” he accepted, “There’s a helluva lot to get through though…”
“I can tell,” Johnny observed, again laying a hand on his arm. “There’s a lot of pain there that needs to come out…”
Ripp’s eyelids bunched tightly together as his eyes ached, allowing the tears to trickle down his cheeks as the words of his new friend pierced his very soul.[/I]

She eyed the sleeping boy with a disgusted stare. Tank had become a bully? Where did all this spiteful talk come from? No, wait, that sounded familiar… Buzz! He’d been teaching their little boy to hate?! Unbelievable… Why did she have to take the short cut that night? Why couldn’t she have kept to the main streets? She did usually, so why were things so different? That act of foolishness had cost her life, and now she had no way to reach any of her children in this dark time, when they needed her so badly.


The night was crystal clear, the stars glistening upon the black velvet of the dark sky as Lyla ambled down the side-street. She hummed a tune to herself as she walked, her eyes darting about with no more than curiosity as she noticed movement in the shadows.
“Hey there baby,” a man’s voice purred in a low tone, laced with menace as its owner stepped into sight.
“Hi,” she greeted in a cheery manner, aiming to disguise the anxiety now growing within as her heartbeat quickened. “Not tonight thanks, I gotta get home.”
Another man appeared before her, joined by a third. Her face became serious as she realised she couldn’t joke herself out of this one.
“Look, I’ve got three little boys,” she persuaded, “Just let me go home, huh?”
A grimy hand clamped over her mouth as she was pulled into the darkness.


Ripp thrashed about in his bed as the scene unfolded before his mind’s eye, trying valiantly to drown out his mother’s screams as the tears began to flow freely down his cheeks.
“No,” he whimpered drowsily, “Mom…!”
Johnny’s brow twitched into a puzzled frown as he stirred from his slumber, his tired eyes widening in disbelief as he realised that Ripp was in the grip of what was plainly a terrible dream. He tried to sit up as he urged the troubled youth to wake from his agitated sleep.
The violence reached a crescendo in Ripp’s mind, pulling him bolt upright in his bed as a pained cry resounded from the depths of his throat.
“Nooooooooooooooooo!!”
Lyla’s ghost vanished as he awakened, leaving the stricken boy screaming and crying as it transpired what had happened. It was plain now, he had been fed those dreams by her somehow, and he had witnessed her murder. His mother was dead, his father a monster. His anguished heart felt it all too much to take.
“Hey, ssh, it’s okay…” Johnny soothed as he ran an arm across Ripp’s shoulders, but his words seemed to carry no weight.
“Mom!!”
Lights blinked into life from outside the room, their glare filtering through the gaps between Johnny’s door and its surroundings. The door then opened, intensifying the glow in the room and antagonising Johnny’s eyes as he looked up at the approaching figure.


“Hey,” Tank uttered as he sat by Ripp’s side, “It’s okay, just a bad dream…”
“It wasn’t just a dream!” Ripp whimpered in reply, “It was Mom…”
“Mom?” Tank checked in bewilderment.
“She’s dead Tank, I just saw it happen!”
Tank at first stared aghast at his younger brother, but his logical side was quick to sweep such news under the carpet.
“Whad’ya mean you saw it?” he challenged, “That’s impossible!”
“I don’t get it myself, but it’s for real, I swear!” Ripp protested, “It was like watching a movie!”
As movement beyond the room hinted at the volume of Ripp’s cries, Tank was left wondering whether the cracks were already beginning to show in his brother, or whether there could be any truth in his words. This was Strangetown after all, and however unoriginal its name, it had been called that for a reason.
« Last Edit: June 17, 2008, 07:07:39 pm by Sadie79 » Logged

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steelguy
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« Reply #282 on: June 18, 2008, 02:56:12 am »

Holy Cow! Sex AND violence! Smiley

Poor Ripp, now he's got dreams of his mother dying. He's already on the brink here, I hope this doesn't push him over.

Great update!
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Bloody_Tears
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« Reply #283 on: June 19, 2008, 09:03:55 am »

Hey Sadie. That was amazing! I finally logged got my internet fixed and arrived to find 2 updates. I was thrilled. It's so cool how you are building on why Lyla is in Olive's cemetary and then showing us that although she's kind of dead, she still cares about her boys.
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AxelVal
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« Reply #284 on: June 20, 2008, 12:44:02 am »

I love the look on Ripp's face when he's getting comforted!  So much fun to be had in that chapter, even with the cutting.
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My Sims don't need to know it's not 2008 anymore.
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