simgaroop | The Broke Legacy: Gen 4.4 (Part 2) (Reply)

Dad wasn't sure about Rosie and Buck's friendship.
Not only because of the grudge between the Grunts and the Graslaxian race, but also because in the 10 months Buck had been visiting our home, he hadn't introduced us to his father or brothers. The only thing we knew about his family was that his mother had left the house when Buck was a baby.
Nothing else.
Dad was afraid that this friendship would spark a new conflict with the Grunts.

I thought that Dad was being a bit paranoid, perhaps influenced by his bias against the Grunts.
Sure, the Grunts were known for rejecting Graslaxians... but what about the aliens themselves?
I remember all the jokes Uncle Andromeda and Saturn used to make about the Army and the Grunts.
They were often ridiculed in our social circle.
In many ways, we were as bad as the Grunts.

But not Rosie or Buck. They didn't care about their families' past. About the conflict between their races.
They just were a couple of eleven-year-olds who were the best friends in the world.
I actually liked Buck, despite knowing that he was a bit intimidated by my alien eyes.
It wasn't his fault, so I wanted to show him that both Dad and I were just like any normal Sim.

And one afternoon, I found the perfect chance to win his trust.

Buck always left our house exactly at 17:40, to prepare dinner for his father.
At that time, I was usually attending my last client in my home Beauty Parlor, and thus getting ready to close it for the day.
I've noticed that Buck sometimes stayed for a few minutes, watching me work with an uncommon interest in a boy of his age.

That afternoon, I had finished my work earlier than usual, so I had a few minutes to spare before closing.
I smiled at the boy and said- "What do you think? Did you like what I did to Mrs. Crumplebottom?"
Buck blushed- "Errr... yeah. I think so... Not that I know much about your job, Mrs. Broke..."
"Ummm... would you like me to show you how I do it? No one in my family is interested in this business, so I'd be glad to talk about it with someone for a change."

Buck smiled and took a step forward, but then he stopped- "I... I shouldn't. I... don't have much time and I don't have money and..."
"Oh come on! It won't take long. And you are my daughter's best friend, so of course this is free."
"Oh... all right..."

I didn't do anything extreme to his hair, of course. Just a quick trim (which he needed, by the way). I also taught him how to spike his hair like Timmy.
Buck was so glad when he I showed him the results of his "makeover".
"This is so cool, Mrs. Broke! Thanks!"
"It was nothing, Buck. I'm glad you liked it."
"I had no idea you could do so much with your scissors... I think your job is fascinating! But it also must be hard..."
"Not at all, Buck. I can teach you everything I know. Who knows? Perhaps someday you could take control of my business..."

Buck shook his head- "I don't think so, Mrs. Broke. I'm going to the Military Academy when I turn 17, just like my brother Tank. Dad wants me to become a soldier like him..."
"Oh... well, you are still young and a lot of things can happen in six years. Even if you become a soldier, perhaps my skills could be useful at the Army, don't you think?"
"Hee... perhaps... Thanks for the offer, Mrs. Broke. I'll... think about it..."

A loud noise interrupted our conversation. The General's helicopter was landing on the Grunt's backyard. Buck paled, and his breathing became irregular, as if he were very stressed.
"What's wrong, Buck?"
"Nothing, Mrs. Broke... It's just... a bit late. I need to go home..."

The boy jumped from the chair and ran to his house.
He didn't look back.

Buck's behavior left me a bit worried, but I didn't have much time to ponder on it.
The kids were hungry, and Puck would arrive from yet another courtroom hearing any moment.
Besides, it was my turn to make dinner that day as Dad was busy with his new project.

As the kids were dining, I got an strange phone call.

"Hello?"
"Don't you DARE put your hands on my son again! I won't let you alien freaks hurt him!"
"Excuse me?"
"I'll do anything to protect my children from the likes of you! I won't make the same mistake twice!"
"Who..."
"If you ever get close to Buck again, I'll make sure you regret it! Mark my words!"

General Buzz Grunt II (because you didn't have to be a genius to figure out it was him) hung up before I could defend or explain myself.

That night, I had a long conversation with my father on the matter.
"I was afraid something like this would happen, Wanda... I was sure that Buck's visits were done without his father's consent."
"What should we do, Dad?"
"I... I don't know, Wanda. Perhaps there's nothing to do for now. I'm sure the General will make sure that Buck doesn't come here anymore."
"Oh Dad... Rose Mary is gonna be so sad..."

I talked to Rose Mary the next morning.
I tried to explain to her what happened.
To my surprise, Rosie wasn't shocked when I told her about the General's reaction.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, Mommy... but I thought you wouldn't let Buck come here any longer..."

For a couple of weeks, we didn't hear from Buck at all. Rose was crushed by this.
But then, one day, he just appeared in our backyard.
I wasn't sure if it'd be a good idea to let him inside, but just a glance at Rosie's bright smile was enough to convince me.

"I thought I'd never see you again! Is... everything all right with your Dad, Buck?"

"Well... Dad was so angry when he caught me but don't worry. He didn't hurt me. He might be strict, but he'd never do that to me. But I had to do a lot of housework as a punishment... and he also gave me this... haircut to teach me a lesson. It looks horrible, doesn't it?"

"Nah, it's all right! You look older!"
"Really? That's cool then!"
"Buck... are you now allowed to come here?"
"Uh... of course not. He even asked Tank to keep an eye on me at all times so I won't leave the house again..."
"But then..."
"Ripp helped me. When I told him about our friendship, he got very happy. He said it was time I showed some backbone and that he'd help me as soon as Dad got distracted. Tank's just left for the Military Academy a couple days ago, so I was left alone with Ripp. Don't worry, Rosie. With Ripp at our side, I won't get caught again!"

This time, we were all aware of the risk of having Buck in our house.
Puck was especially worried. He was afraid the General would take extreme measures or legal action if he discovered this situation.
He was usually tense and silent when Buck was with Rosie.

But the kids... they were happy.

Now that I look back to those days, I don't regret anything I did back then.
My daughter was truly happy. And that boy was finally having the life he always wanted, surrounded by games and laughter.

I only hoped the General could see how happy his son was now.
According to Buck, he only wanted the best for his children.
I was sure he'd eventually understand...

But he didn't.
One evening, Ripp wasn't able to hide his brother's secret any longer.
The General had arrived earlier than usual, and despite Ripp's desperate attempts to distract him, Buzz looked for his youngest son.
When he discovered Buck's empty room, he lost it.
And for the first time in the almost two years we'd been living in that house, the General paid a visit to us.

He shook with fury as he pointed at me.
"I told you! I told you you'd regret it! What have I done to you?! Why do you want to take him away from me? My sons are the only thing I have left in this world... Why... why are you poisoning their minds? First Ripp... and now my baby boy! You'll pay for this!"

"Father... please... don't talk like that..."

"What's going on here? You have no right to talk to my daughter like that!"

"YOU! You are one of them! One of those parasites! You think it's all right to abduct people and let them carry your sick products! You couldn't handle your planet and now you want to live at our expense! You eat our food and breathe our air! You are a bunch of thieves who don't give anything back to us!"
"That's... that's not true!"
"Really? That's now what I've been told. What about Project Bella? Do you really think the Goth's appreciated it when your race kidnapped Bella? Do you think her children didn't miss her?"
"Don't you DARE mention my wife!"
"Cassandra never saw her mother again. Sure... Bella spawned four... half-breeds... who were all lucky to have a mother. Unlike Cassandra and Alexander. And Mortimer..."
"Stop it!"
"And just like Bella, there are tons of profiles where I work. We know of hundreds... thousands of people who suffered losses at your expense. Families that were destroyed by the arrival of your alien spawn. People who never returned to their homes. People who died during your experiments! You cheat and lie to the people of this town... you get them abducted without their consent.

But I know better! And my family has fought for years to get rid of your plague. Perhaps your stupid alien laws have hindered our efforts, but we won't stop. My kids can't enjoy a normal life in this town because of your presence. I have to protect them from you... I have to protect Tank... and Ripp... and Buck. He won't die at your hands... Not again..."

"What the hell do you think you are doing, talking to my wife and her father like that? You abusive bastard!"
Puck appeared in the living room like a fury, ready to kill the General if that was possible.
I'd never been so scared... I'd never seen Puck acting like this.

"What? YOU?!"

"It... it can't be!"

"What's wrong, Grunt? Not feeling so brave now? You can mess with children, a woman and an old man but can't fight like a real man? You are a coward! Come on! Show me what you've got!"

"Stop it, Puck! Please! The children are here too!"

We couldn't even imagined what could possible scare someone like the General so much.
He was a tall, strong man, and while Puck was enraged, he was a lot shorter and not used to fighting.
It didn't make sense at all.
Nonetheless, the General went silent.
He looked at Buck and said- "You've disappointed me, Buck. I thought you'd understand why I act like this... but it seems that you are just an ignorant child. You don't leave no other choice. Let's go home; we'll talk about this later."

"Yes, Father.... I'm so sorry..."

Rose Mary was devastated once Buck left.
Somehow she was certain she'd never see him again.
After that brutal discussion, after all the horrible things Buck's dad had told her grandfather...
Things would never be the same again.

We were infuriated against Buzz Grunt, but we put our anger aside to comfort our little girl.
Dad, Puck and I had a long conversation with the kids.
Dad tried to explain them what Buzz had said about the Graslaxians... but he was still affected.
Despite his anger and prejudice, some of Buzz words were true.
And that left my Dad pondering about his role as a Graslaxian for a long time afterwards.

Two days went by.
Timmy and Helena did everything they could to cheer Rosie up.
And one morning, we got an unexpected visitor.

The young man introduced himself as Ripp Grunt, Buck's brother.
Puck was angry when he noticed our visitor. He almost didn't want him to enter the house.
But Rosie dragged him inside as soon as she saw him.

"You are Rose Mary, right?"
"Yup. Where's Buck?"
"He's still at our house... but not for much longer..."
"What do you mean?"

"The General is sending Buck to a military boarding school in Veronaville.
He's leaving today..."
"For how long...?"
"I don't know, Rose Mary, perhaps much longer than we can both imagine..."

"Buck has surrendered to our father's wishes. He's ashamed of what the General said to your family and wants to move away.
You have to do something, Rose Mary!"
"I... I'm only a child. I can't do anything to stop your Dad!"
"True... but I'm not asking you to stop him..."

Rose Mary ran outside a couple minutes later. She ran as fast she could until she reached the Grunt's front yard.
"BUCK! BUCK!"

"Rose Mary?!"

Buck didn't listen to his father or his brother Tank.
In that instant, he jumped from the sofa and ran outside.
When the two kids found each other, they hugged tightly.

"What the Hell is going on, Ripp? Why did you bring her here?"
"Can't you see it, Father? I'm doing this so Buck never forgets who he is! So he won't become a soldier clone like you two! To give him a reason to come home!"

"Can't you do anything to stop this, Buck? I don't want you to go!"

"I wish I could stay, but my father believes I'll be safer at the boarding school..."
"That's not true and you know it!"
"I know... But you know something, Rose Mary? I'm not afraid of leaving this place. I said I wanted to meet new friends and to see new places, right? Perhaps this is the perfect chance to do it. I'll be all right, don't worry!"
"I'm going to miss you so much!"
"Me too! But... I'll be back for vacations, right?

"Buck! Get in the car! We are leaving now!"

"Take good care of my brother, Rosie! We'll see you soon, I promise!"

__________________________________

Rose Mary waited patiently for her best friend to return home.
But he wasn't back for the Christmas break.
Nor the Spring break... or the summer vacations.
The weeks became months, and soon a year had gone by.

With time, Rose Mary got used to Buck's absence.
She met new friends when she started Junior High.
She was also busy making sure Helena didn't get into trouble.
And scaring Marsha away too!

Ripp Grunt visited frequently.
The General was fully aware of this, but he didn't try to stop him.
Not that Ripp would care, after all.

Because Rose Mary and Buck weren't allowed to write to each other, Ripp was the one who brought news about his brother.

I'll always be grateful to Ripp for those visits. He was almost 18, and therefore didn't need to spend time with little kids. But he did it for his brother, nonetheless.
And to piss the General off, of course!

Apparently, Buck was doing well at the boarding school. He had learned to play soccer and had made a few friends.
He was even losing a bit of weight and therefore felt much confident than before.
Rose Mary was glad to hear that, despite missing him so badly.

Helena loved listening to Ripp's stories.
She also wanted to go to that boarding school.
She'd prove those kids she was the stronger girl in Strangetown.
It took Puck a long time to convince Helena that wasn't possible at the moment.

Unfortunately, Ripp's visits ceased when he turned 18.
Buzz Grunt, despite the constant arguing with his son, deep inside cared for him.
He knew that Ripp wouldn't follow the same steps as his brothers, but wanted him to be prepared to deal with the dangerous world out there.
So, he allowed Ripp to go to La Fiesta Tech to study History to pursue his dream of becoming an explorer.
You might wonder how someone with grades as horrible as Ripp's got into College...
Well... we Brokes were still pretty influential, after all.

That was the last we heard of both Ripp and Buck Grunt.

And before we knew it, four years went by...

It was amazing how much Timmy and Helena had grown up in just a couple of years.
Helena was almost 12, and ready to start Junior High and to join the skating team.
Timmy was 11 years old and he was still the main target of Marsha's attentions...
But that wouldn't last for long...

At 16, Rose Mary was a beautiful young lady.

With time, Rose Mary discovered a new passion: Music.
She traded her dolls and toys for music posters and CD's.

It wasn't strange to see a musician Broke.
Dad and Uncle Icaro were known for their love of music.
And remember that Andrew and I often dreamed of forming our music band.

Rose Mary wanted to be a famous composer.
She spent many afternoons coming up with lyrics for her musical pieces.

She dreamed of going to the conservatory at Academie Le Tour.
Tamara and Demetrius had promised they'd take good care of Rosie when she moved to Veronaville.

Puck and I were still together.
It didn't matter that we were now getting old, we still felt the same way as we did when we first met as teenagers.

"I'm so lucky to be married to the most beautiful and enchanting woman in this town. My sweet Wanda..."

"I love you too Puck... and you know that I love it when you talk to me like that but..."
"But what?"
"Don't think you can sweet talk your way out of organizing the attic."
"Man... Wanda!"

Remember that pop star that Puck defended years before?
Well, Puck had won the case after proving that the plagiarizing charge was a hoax to destroy the star's career.
Puck and Andrew were now almost celebrities, for every single Sim Artist wanted to hire their services.
The Pop Star had sent Puck a very special thank you gift a few days before, though.
She had retired as a singer, and was now a famous sculptor.
And now her master piece was blocking our living room.

If you don't want to get rid of this... masterpiece, you must find a place for it. I don't want it blocking the living room, Puck!"
"I know it's tacky, but what if she finds out I threw it away?!"
"I understand, but you must store it in the attic. Find a place for it..."
"All right! I'll organize the attic tomorrow morning! Sheesh!"

___________________________________

At 6 AM of the following day, a winter Sunday, Rose Mary was awakened by a strange noise.
It was as if someone was throwing small pebbles at her window.

"Did you hear that noise, Wanda?"
"I... I didn't hear anything."
"Must be the stress from work... I think I'll go upstairs and organize the attic once and for all."
"Puck... it's 6 AM!"

"Who could it be at this hour? If it's Marsha again I swear I'll..."

"Man! What a mess! I don't even know where to start!"

"Huh? I remember these... I saw them when we first moved to this house... I thought they were lost..."

"Let's see..."

Buck Strong and Chloe Curious on the day of their engagement
"Chloe? That name..."

"Huh? That's..."

"All right Marsha. This is going into beyond creepy territory! Have you seen what hour it..."

"Oh Goodness! You've got to be kidding me!"

"Is that you, Buck?"

Puck's first birthday

"WHAT?!"

"It's been so long, Rosie. I'm sorry I couldn't fulfill my promise earlier but I'm back...
Well... I was wondering if you could hide me here for a little while.
I ran away from the military academy... and I'm not going back..."

________________________________________
Notes:

- All right. This is the hardest update I've written so far. I don't even know why! It's just that I had a huge mess with the pictures and although I knew what I wanted to write on each picture I just couldn't figure out the right way to put my ideas down.

- I guess you are already aware of how warped the Maxis continuity and time line is in this update. Back in Gen 1 I mentioned the Grunts because I hadn't planned at that time to include Maxis characters in this legacy. So, in order to include them in the story at this moment of the legacy, I had to make up the whole "Buzz Grunt II" deal and to distort a lot of the Strangetown relationships. If you are interested in reading a story that deals with the Strangetown "canon" as it should be, I rec you to read "Strangetown: Here we come" by

strange_tomato. It's worth checking out!

- The house is part of Plasticbox's Backdoor Lane series at Mod the Sims 2. I had to move the Brokes to this house because I was seriously having graphic problems with the older house. The faces were now blurry and the pictures were pretty bad. I actually had to re-do several pictures and change the storyline. Originally, Rose Mary and Buck meet at school and he starts frequenting the Broke house because he's interested in Wanda's business. When I moved them to a new house, I placed it next to the Grunts, so I changed the plot a bit.

- The "mysterious" pics that Puck found in the end were taken a long, long time ago in that same house. I downloaded a bunch of Plasticbox's houses to serve as scenarios for the spare families. Because I couldn't build a proper house for the Brokes (I suck so much), I temporarily placed them in this house, but I left them here when I realized I could use it as a way to link the plot to Puck's past :).

- I forgot to change my default eye when I switched to the Brokes, so this update features Lyran's defaults. I actually quite like them ^^. The Sims are more expressive with them. I think I'll keep them for a while.

- I have no idea who should be the heir for this generation. I originally wanted Timmy to be heir, but Rose Mary and her story with Buck have grown in me. I'm actually tempted to do a double heir story, but I guess that'd be a bit complicated.

So, I'd love your suggestions. Who should I choose as heir? Here are the pics of the kids as teens and their aspirations:

Yeah, Rose Mary is a Romance Sim :S. But I already have an idea on how I'd explain this aspiration if she's chosen as heir.

Timmy hasn't officially transitioned to a teen yet. That picture was taken as I was fooling around with InSim before I moved them out.
So, this is a pre-makeover pic :P.
I already rolled his aspiration so you could have more stats. Of course, he doesn't have a LTW yet.

Well, I guess this is all for now. Before I go, though, here's a teaser for Gen 4.5 ;).

"Are you going to tell me why you are so angry?"
"I thought you were my friend, Buck!"
"Of course I'm your friend, Tim! What are you talking..."
"Then why don't you ask me to play with you anymore? Is it because I'm little? I'm almost 12!"

"What?"
"Helena told me everything. She said that Rose Mary and you were playing "house" in the attic yesterday. And I was so bored in my room! You could have asked me to play!"

"Ugh... Timmy... Uh..."

Thanks for reading! :)