Thank you to BBQPenguinWings (Miss Penguin), Jes2G (Jes), and KitDragonFlight for providing their part of the conversation with Sugar and onezero, to OhRenSims for providing Ren’s words to Cypress, and to Jes2G for Jes’s words to Sempervirens.
“What do think about being a legacy spare?” Marketa asked J.P.
“I think I’d rather be a Townie in the Bloomers,” he said, a little flirtatiously.
Marketa laughed. “A Townie! But why?”
J. P. smiled. “I saw a few photos of Astrid. How far ahead have you played, anyway?”
While Jeffrey Pine was trying to get to know the writer of the Bloomer Legacy a bit better, Lil Penguin was introducing herself to onezero, who had just about had it with guests for the moment.
“I am not ‘how-do-you-do!'” onezero was saying. “I’m more like, ‘Hey… what’s happening!‘”
“I’m thinking I might found a legacy when I grow up, onezero,” Lil Penguin said. “Do you think it’s a good idea?”
“It’s a terrible idea!” onezero replied. “Start a legacy, and for all your days, time follows you like a sad-eyed shadow. I’m coming for you… that’s what every single second says.”
“Really?” Lil Penguin said. “I thought that everybody wanted to be a founder or an heir or a spare.”
“Nope,” said onez. “Be happy you are you. You’ve got the best life a little Sim can have. Free and easy!”
Lil P took her homework out where Harley, the gen 5 heir from the Belle legacy, was studying.
“I heard that being the heir isn’t all it’s cracked up to be,” said Lil Penguin.
“Whoever told you that?” said Harley. “It’s the best ever!”
Inside, eXo had discovered the clay.
“Oooh!” she told Kit. “This stuff is amazing! Even better than it looks!”
Kit laughed. “Watch out! I’ve heard it’s addictive! They’ve even got 12-step programs for it! And clay addicts don’t drink coffee–they fold origami!”
Kit and eXo found Sugar Maple out at the bar.
“Is it true what they say, about clay being addictive?” Kit asked Sugar.
“Of course not!” said Sugar. “I can stop any time!”
While Sugar began talking about her favorite brand of clay, which comes from the south of France and smells a little salty, Mak discovered the long line of tombstones. It hurt, to see how many Sims had come and gone, and she remembered them all–even those whose names had disappeared from their headstone.
“I think Kit is right about this clay,” Sean told Cypress. “I can’t stop making things!”
Upstairs, Miss Penguin found onezero and Sugar.
“Meeting both of you is my dream!” she said.
Sugar laughed. “Miss P! You are the definition of cool!”
“And awesome,” said onezero. “And the epitome of timeless inspiration.”
“I knew my Sugar was special from the first time you hopped out the bassinet with your unique style,” Miss Penguin said. “It has been amazing to see things from your and onezero’s eyes.”
“No one else looks through my eyes,” onezero said under her breath.
“You have both taught me so much about the world, life, and making your own choices,” Miss Penguin continued. “Breaking rules and getting messy. Making mistakes and living for yourself.”
“Well, if you’re not gonna take charge of your own life, who’s going to do it?” Sugar said. “Are you going to let someone else make the important decisions for you? Of course not! No rules for any game are more important than your own life fitting you, right, Miss P?”
“You’re darn right!” Miss Penguin replied, and she headed on downstairs to see if the Darjeeling tea had brewed.
Jes and Kit joined Sugar and onez.
“Hi, Sugar!” Jes said. “It’s nice to see you again in a non-business setting… and on a different hard drive!”
“Great to be able to return the hospitality,” Sugar said.
Kit kept repeating, “Oh my plum, oh my plum! This is an honor!”
“You need me to give you a little shove to get the needle unstuck?” onezero asked.
Kit laughed. “I knew if I were to meet you I would fan-girl. Seriously! I knew I would!”
“That’s OK,” said Sugar. “I feel the same way having all of you over here.”
“I don’t,” said onezero. “I just feel like the place is too crowded. It feels a little time-warpy to me.”
“How did you two know to stay?” Kit asked onezero and Sugar. “Why not go with your generations to the clouds above?”
“It was pretty clear,” Sugar said. “When I saw how torn up CT got after Aspen left, I knew that I couldn’t do that to her. I knew if it looked like I was just going to turn ghost-wise, and then run the risk of having my ghost get culled, I knew that there was a really good chance that Cathy Tea would just find some reason to stop playing. And that would be that. No Tamarind. No Doug. No onezero. No Redbud or Alder. No Cypress or J.P. No Squid. We’d just stop, frozen in time. One more abandoned legacy. The only way we’d keep going would be if I found a way to stick around. So it was pretty simple, really. And now, we’ve all got a chance to live free!”
Kit had one more question. “What will you do now that you don’t have to stay anymore?”
“I’m staying,” said onezero. “Cradle Rock is my home, and I’m not going any place else. Sugar’s moving out, though, right, Shug?”
She is. And the woman she’s moving out with, Ren, was at the moment downstairs sharing a few words with Cypress.
“Cypress, may I hug you?” Ren asked.
Cypress opened her arms.
“Thank you,” Ren whispered into her ear. “Thank you for bringing this newest branch of the legacy. Thank you for making it so that I could be here to see all of this. Thank you for being so goofy.”
“Am I goofy?” Cypress asked. “I know I’ve got that trait, but really. I’m pretty sensible, right?”
“If you say so!” Ren said.
When Cypress finished her meal, Ren took up the plate.
“Allow me!” she said, and then she went through the lot, picking up all the dirty dishes. “Now I feel like a true Bough!” she said, as she carried that pile of dishes into the kitchen where generations of Boughs had carried them before.
Jes came downstairs to meet the gen 10 nooboo.
“Hello, baby Semper-fi!” she said. “When you grow up, you’re going to live in a totally different world than your ancestors! They are going to have an epic tale to tell you…and all of it will be true.”
Cathy Tea's SimLit Anthology 