1.04: An Unforgettable Date in the Park

Mulan sat on her bed, reading.  Camron was next to her, munching on a bit of scrambled eggs and toast.  He’d have to leave for work soon.  He was still working the late shift at the diner.  “Our next day off, we should go on a date,” Camron said, chewing his food thoughtfully.

 

“A date?” Mulan looked up from her book, an intrigued expression on her face.  “Yeah, I like that idea.  You have tomorrow night off right?  I have tomorrow off and won’t have to go in until 10 am.  Will tomorrow night work?”

He grinned and stood up, nodding.  “You bet.”

Mulan stood up, too.  She gave Camron a hug and a quick kiss.  He lingered, not heading to work quite yet.  He brought his hand up to gently brush the backs of his fingers over her cheek.  “You’re so beautiful, ya know that?  Inside and out.”

 

Her heart melted on the spot; she had to swallow past the lump in her throat as moisture pricked the corner of her eyes.  He always seemed to know what to say.  She was the writer of the two of them, but Camron was definitely no slouch when it came to words and how to use them.  Before she could think of a coherent reply, he kissed her cheek and headed off to work.  She watched him leave, sighing softly.  Unable to stop grinning, Mulan sat at her computer to work on her latest novel.

---

 

The next morning, Camron came home to find Mulan already getting up.  He grinned at her, just drinking her in.

 

“Morning beautiful,” he murmured.

“Hey handsome,” she returned.  They were in one another’s arms in an instant, kissing tenderly.

 

“That’s quite the welcome home,” he murmured in her ear after the kiss ended, though he still held her in his arms.

The corners of her mouth turned up in a grin.  “I stayed up so we could go to bed together.  Do you mind?”

“What kind of a man would I be if I said no to that?  Especially after such a welcome, hm?” he asked, pretending to take a little nip at the tip of her nose.  “Besides, I’d like to see you try to get away from me after we lay down.”  Mulan laughed.  Camron changed and the two of them hopped into bed.

 

Mid-afternoon saw them both dressed.  While Mulan worked on a few household chores (namely, cleaning their toilet and shower), Camron prepared a bit of food.

 

After he found Mulan fixing the sink that sprang a leak-

 

Camron shook his head.  “I could have done that, love.”

Mulan shrugged.  “It didn’t take me long.”

He just chuckled, taking one of her hands in his.  “Alright.  Are you ready to leave then?”

 

She nodded.  “So, where are we going for our date?” she asked him curiously.  He hadn’t been very forthcoming with the details.  She was trying hard not to act like a kid at Christmas, trying to pry his secret from him, but it was difficult.

It was only made more so when he grinned and winked at her.  “You’ll find out when we get there.”  He took her hand in his.  “C’mon, I think a nice walk will do us both good.”  Mulan succumbed to the excitement of looking forward to whatever surprise that Camron had concocted and she squeezed his hand as they strolled out into the neighborhood.

As they walked, Mulan rested her head on Camron’s shoulder.  She let out a sigh.  “It’s a beautiful evening, isn’t it?”

“Hm?” he murmured.  His attention had been on her.  He looked around a bit.  “Yeah, yeah it is.”  The truth was, he was nervous.  He was amazed his hands weren’t bathed with sweat.  The object in his pocket felt heavy.  He was so lost in thought that he barely spoke until they reached Magnolia Blossom Park in the center of town.  “Here we are,” he murmured.

Mulan was intrigued.  She hadn’t explored much of the town, certainly not the park.  It was a pretty place, with a peaceful air at this time in the evening.

 

“It’s beautiful here,” she breathed.  Camron swallowed and had to let out a quick breath before leading her to a bench.

“Why don’t we have a seat here, just take it all in for a minute, huh?”

Mulan was only too happy to comply, following after him.  She sat down next to him, looking into his eyes.  “Thank you.  It’s nice to get away from home for a bit.  This was a great idea.”

 

He grinned.  “Yeah, I thought so,” he teased.  “Thought we could both use a bit of time out, getting some fresh air.”  He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.  He pressed a soft kiss to her hair.  “Hey, why don’t we go check out the fountain?”

Her brow furrowed.  “The fountain?”  Her eyes narrowed a bit and she shifted to really look at him for a moment.

 

“What are you up to?” she asked suspiciously as he helped her up.

“Just this.”  He pulled her to him, twirled her around a bit and then dipped her down, his lips over hers.

 

Fireworks exploded in Mulan’s brain at the kiss and her toes curled up.  It was a darn good thing that Camron had a secure hold on her because she very much doubted her legs would have been able to hold her.  When Camron righted her, she leaned against him for a long moment, trying to catch her breath.  “W-wow,” was all she could say.

Camron grinned and pressed a kiss to her forehead.  “I’ll take that as a compliment,” he murmured.  Slowly, he led her to the fountain.  She still seemed dazed because when he released her hand, she stood there, swaying on her feet a bit.

 

Wolf: That must have been one brilliant kiss, there Camron.

“Whoa!  Crimeny, Wolf… must you do that?” he grumbled out of the side of his mouth, hoping Mulan wasn’t hearing this.  “Thought you said you were gonna be scarce for a while.  You promised!”

Wolf: Relax, relax.  Just wanted to compliment you on your choice of venue.  I’ll leave ya alone now.  Go get ‘er, tiger!

Camron had to let loose another breath.  Oh boy…

Steeling himself and slipping his hand into his pocket, he fingered the little box that resided in there.  He felt Mulan’s presence right next to him.  Pulling in another quick breath, he turned around and got down on knee, something hidden in his hands.

 

Mulan could only stare at him, stupefied for a moment.  Her brain wasn’t quite registering what she was seeing yet.  “Mulan Rampart,” Camron murmured, looking up into her eyes.  “It has been my honor to share the last few weeks with you.  I want to share the rest of our lives together.”  He had to gulp in air quickly.  “W-would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

 

“O-oh, Camron,” she whispered, her voice cracking even as tears gathered in the corners of her eyes.  She had automatically brought a hand up to her chest in surprise and shock.

 

“I love you, Mulan.  Make me the happiest man in the world and say yes.”

 

“Yes,” she whispered.  “Of course, yes!”

Camron slid the ring onto her finger, his own hands barely able to hold steady.  Mulan held her hand up, admiring it as it flashed on her finger.

 

Then she threw her arms around him and the next thing he knew, she’d leapt straight into his arms.  He held her and just gazed into her eyes, lost in their cool blue depths.  “I love you, Mulan.”

“I love you, too, Camron.”

“Are you ready to build that legacy now?”

“With you?  Of course.”

“Let’s go home, then.”  Camron refused to put Mulan down; he insisted upon carrying her all the way home.

Wolf: *lips curl into a grin* Thatta boy.  She was proud of her Sims.

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1.03: Things Looking Up

Mulan motioned him to follow her.  “Are you hungry?  I actually was able to afford a counter and a stove.”

Camron tilted his head.  “Nice.”  He was feeling a little leery.  But he liked Mulan, a lot.  He watched her cut up the ingredients for a simple salad.  “I could eat.”  He gave her a smile.  “You- uh, wanted to talk?”

 

She nodded.  “But first, let’s eat.  Hope you don’t mind salad.”  She handed him the bowl before he could protest and then she led him to the only real seat on her lot: her bed.  He shrugged and followed her.  They sat down and ate in silence for a moment.

“Good salad,” Camron commented.  “I like the dressing.”  He almost hit his forehead with the heel of his palm.  ‘What an idiot’, he thought to himself.  He was really anxious to know what she wanted to talk about.  He hoped it was something good.  He hadn’t handled things well so far.  But the truth was: he was nervous and he wasn’t at all sure of himself.  Mulan was beautiful and smart and funny.  What did she see in a guy like him?  He had begun to think that she hadn’t wanted to hang out with him because his prospects weren’t so good.  Even finding out she hadn’t wanted to hang out because she was embarrassed hadn’t silenced his inner critic.

Mulan grinned.  “Thanks.  Figured to make something simple.  I uh… burned the last batch of grilled I tried to make.”

He laughed.  She took his empty bowl from him and set it on the only surface she had: her desk.  He stood up, his hands unsure what to do.  Mulan went to him.  “Camron,” she said solemnly.  “I wanted to apologize.  I’m really sorry about everything.  I should have been honest from the get-go with you.  I was embarrassed, though.  I didn’t expect to have so little when I came here.  I-“  She paused and sucked in a breath.  “I didn’t want you to think less of me.”

He stopped her with a hug.

 

Putting her at arm’s length, he shook his head.  “Mulan, none of that matters to me.”  His gaze went off to the side.  “Truth be told, you deserve better than me.  I’m an orphan with very little prospects.  I’m sleeping on someone’s couch.  I can’t even give you what you have here.  And I know what you were used to-“

He was interrupted by the fact that Mulan took a step forward and her lips touched his!

 

She stepped back and just looked at him.  He stood there in shock for a long moment.

 

“Camron,” she said softly, taking his hands in hers.  “I really like you… a lot.  I left home because I needed to get out on my own.  Yeah, this is different than what I’m used to, but that’s ok.  And honestly, I don’t expect you to give me anything.  What I’m looking for in a partner is just that: a partner.  Can we… start over?  Or maybe, just go from here?  Take it further?”

 

He didn’t say anything; he just pulled her into a hug.

 

Mulan rested her head on his shoulder, letting out a soft sigh.  Then they separated and she gave him a mischievous grin.  “Now, I know you are sleeping on your friend’s couch.  There, you have a roof over your head.  How about making different arrangements?  Sleeping under the stars isn’t so bad,” she murmured.  She looked sideways at him and raised her arms, as if presenting her bed to him.  “What do you think?  Think you could deal with switching accommodations?”

 

“Wait, are you asking me to come and live with you?”  There was incredulousness in his voice.

“I do believe I am,” she murmured, just looking at him.  He couldn’t tell what she was thinking.  Those beautiful blue eyes were almost enigmatic.

He swallowed.  “Yes.  Yes, I’ll come and live with you.”

It seemed to shock her.  “Wait, you will?”

“Yes, I will.”

Mulan began to dance a little, waving her arms in the air in excitement.  “We’re going to live together!”

Her enthusiasm was catching and Camron found himself waving his hands up and down with her.  “We’re going to live together!” he echoed.

 

There was another hug, this one a bit longer.

 

They separated and just stood there for a moment.  They were going to live together.  It was taking a little while for it to sink in, for both of them.

Wolf: Well, this is sweet!  I was hoping you’d come to your senses, Mulan.

Camron just about jumped out of his skin, spinning around.  “Who said that!?”

Mulan winced.  “Oh boy… Hey, I thought you weren’t going to interfere!”

Wolf: I won’t, but that doesn’t mean I can’t still talk to you, now does it?

Camron just stared at Mulan.  “Um… Mulan, h-honey?  What’s going on?”

“That was… Wolf.  She’s- our Watcher.”  She held up her hands.  “I know, I know.  It sounds crazy.  But it’s true.  Apparently, I was lucky enough to be chosen as a legacy founder.  I-I… is this a deal breaker?  Because me being a legacy founder has nothing to do with me asking you to move in.  I really like you and-“

“Whoa, whoa, slow down,” he murmured.  “It’s ok.  I believe you.  Y-you really want to make a family with me?  A legacy?”

She nodded.  “Eventually, yes.  When we’re both ready.  A-are you interested?”

He nodded slowly, his face breaking into a wide smile.  “I am.”  Mulan let out a whoop then began to hop up and down, giddy as a school girl.

---

 

Mulan and Camron settled into a nice little routine in the following days.  Camron worked at a local restaurant as an assistant dishwasher, but he was already on the fast track to moving up.  He had been taking some online culinary classes.  So while Mulan worked on writing (she had moved up to where she was actually writing her own books; she’d even self-published a couple), Camron practiced his cooking.

 

He often worked till 1 am or later, and Mulan would already be in bed.  Camron would crawl in next to her, smile at her sleeping form, then let himself drop into sleep.

 

They’d both wake up together; Mulan always had a kiss for him.

 

He’d pull her to him; he just loved to hold her in his arms.  “I love you, Mulan,” he’d murmur, nuzzling his cheek over hers.  Mulan would murmur back, her eyes alight with happiness.

 

Wolf looked down on them, smiling.  Yes, things were going very well for the two of them and it made the Watcher very happy.

1.02: The Woes of a Legacy Founder

Wolf: House?  Mulan, you had $1800.  That’s not a whole lot, especially for you Sims!  Your prices are nuts!  Just be glad you have a bed, a toilet, and a shower.

“Not even a fridge!?”

Wolf: Not quite enough for that yet.  But you have work tomorrow, so should have more than enough to get ya a fridge.

It was a rough night for Mulan.  Though Wolf had splurged a bit on the bed, the fact that she had no roof over her head was definitely a worry, especially for someone like her that had grown up in what almost amounted to a castle.

 

The next morning, wondering if she’d made a mistake by coming to Willow Creek, Mulan went out into the town again.  She needed food and had been so out of it, she’d just left without taking a shower.  So she found herself in front of the gym first.  And boy was she not happy…

 

After a shower, she ran down the street to the bar to grab a bowl of their stale, over-salted chips.  She ate with her head down definitely not in the mood for any kind of socialization.

 

After the less than satisfying ‘breakfast’, Mulan was feeling only marginally better.  She looked down at her watch and let out a yelp.  She was going to be late for work!  Panicking at the thought, she sped out of the bar and ran down the street.

 

Her first day of work was a whirlwind.  She was promoted that very night, no longer a simple Writing Assistant.  She was a Blogger.  And a blogger needed a computer, right?  So that computer that the add promised came home with her and she had made enough money to buy a cheap fridge and a desk and chair.  Immediately, she typed in her SimsMessenger screenname and password, logging on.  No one on her buddy list was on.  Disappointed, she shrugged and pulled up a game of Blickblock.

 

Wolf: You should totally call up that cutie Camron.  Invite him over.

“Invite him over?  Are you insane?!  My bed, shower, desk, and refrigerator are all out on the middle of my lawn!  I don’t even have a house!  There is no way I can invite him over!”

Wolf: What about that J guy?  He’s cute too, though I don’t know how he’d be for a husband…

“Husband!?” Mulan sputtered through an incoherent dribble of words.  “Just what is going on here?!”

Wolf: Wait, did I forget to mention all that?  You, my dear Mulan, are a Legacy founder.  I’m sure you’ve heard of that, right?

There was no answer.  Mulan just sat there, her jaw hanging open.

Wolf: Hm… perhaps I should have been more clear…  You ok, Mulan?  What’s that noise you’re making?

It was something between a gasp and trying to yell.  But nothing was actually coming out.  Finally, she just smacked her forehead down on the desk.  “Don’t tell me, I don’t want to know!  I have heard of these legacies… but I always thought they were a myth.  Look, I’ll do this on one condition: let me do it in my own time, my own way, ok?  I’ll do the best I can, follow whatever rules you have, but I get to pick my own guy and in my own time.  We clear on that?”

There was silence for a moment.  Wolf: Alright, you got a deal then.  But I make no promises about later generations.  If they start to stray, I’m putting the ka-bosh on that.

“Fair enough.”

And so, Mulan was left in some relative peace.  She played her game some more until her stomach rumbled.  She grabbed a bowl of cereal and sat on her bed, complementing this ‘deal’ she had made.

 

Once she had eaten, she made a note to herself that she needed a sink and a garbage can as soon as she could afford them.  Her refrigerator and the desk and chair had taken all the money she had made the day before.  She set the bowl down on her desk and hopped back on her computer.  As she brought up the word processor to possibly begin writing a story idea that had begun to pop into her head, there was a message.

 

Cowboy Sunrise82: Hey, this is Mulan, right?  Mulan Rampart?

WarriorWoman124: Um, yeah… this is.  Who’s this?

Cowboy Sunrise82: It’s Camron!  Sorry, I know this must seem a bit stalkerish… I looked you up through your phone number.  You don’t mind, do you?

WarriorWoman124: Oh wow!  No, that’s fine.  I forgot you could do that.  How are you?

Cowboy Sunrise82: I’m doing well.

Once again, Mulan lost herself in conversation with Camron.  But eventually, she was falling asleep at the keyboard.  ‘Sorry, Camron, I gotta get some sleep,’ she wrote.  ‘I’ll talk to you later, ok?’  She signed off and stood up, grinning.  She was still grinning as she climbed into bed.

The next morning, Mulan woke up later than normal.  It was her day off, after all.  So she decided to just laze about in bed for a bit longer.  The fact that she was still in the middle of a field didn’t seem to faze her as much this morning.

 

She finally roused herself and stretched.  Some inspiration struck her and she hopped on the computer to finish that story she had started the day before.  It was a children’s story based on the stories that her parents had always told her as a child.  Of course, she altered it just a bit.  It had always annoyed her to no end how the hero of a story was always the man and he had to rescue the ‘damsel’.  And so, the Warrior Princess was born.  Before she knew it, she was done!  She printed it out to go back and reread it, then settled on her bed to read through it.

 

She was fairly happy with it.  But she hopped back onto her computer in order to make a few changes.  As she did so, a message window popped up.  She frowned at the screen.  It wasn’t Camron’s screenname this time.

 

LadiesMan58: Hello beautiful.  How are you today?

WarriorWoman124: I’m fine… who is this?

LadiesMan58: It’s J, of course.  I was wondering, wanna meet me for drinks a bit later?

 

Mulan hesitated a moment.  Then she shrugged.  What harm could it do?

WarriorWoman124: Sure, why not.  Meet ya there in two hours?

LadiesMan58: Sounds great, doll.  See ya there.

He signed off.  Mulan stared at the screen with a bemused expression.  “Doll?” she muttered.  She sighed.  J wasn’t a bad guy but some of his habits were a bit annoying.  But it was just a drink.  She got up and hopped into the shower.  But as she stepped out… naked as the day she was born, she turned her head and went bright red, letting out a surprised shriek.

 

As Camron stood there, a blank expression on his face, Mulan ran behind her little bathroom wall to change her clothes.  She leaned against the bathroom door, her face flaming.  She really hoped Camron would just keep on walking.  Instead, she heard her name being hailed. Swallowing, she slunk out from behind her hiding place, her head hanging down.

 

“Um… hi,” she finally ventured, looking up.  She wasn’t sure which was worse right now, the fact that he had just seen her in all her glory… or that he was standing next to all she owned in the whole world, out in a field, in the middle of a lovely, but otherwise empty lot.

He just looked at her, then looked around.

 

“So uh… guess it really isn’t much, huh?”

She winced.  “I am really sorry about that… look, I… I was embarrassed.  I should have been honest.  I just…”

“Look, I get it, I do.  I’m crashing on someone’s couch as it is.  But you coulda told me.”

She looked down at the ground again, ashamed.

 

“Look, Mulan, I like you… a lot, but… I don’t know, guess it makes sense, the reason you keep putting off hanging out.”  He looked around again, his expression somewhere between sad and rueful.  “I uh… I should head to work.  I was on my way to work and took a detour to see if I couldn’t track ya down.  I guess… I’ll catch ya later.”

 

Mulan raised a hand, wanting to stop him, but he was already striding away.

---

The next week or so passed in a bit of a haze.  Her heart was heavy with guilt.  She hadn’t heard a word from Camron since that night.  She spent it mostly writing blindly, reading, and spending her nights tossing and turning.

 

Work was going well.  She’d gotten two more promotions since she became a blogger.  It was her day off again.  It was hard to believe a full week had passed.  She’d run the gamut from guilt to anger to sadness and back again.  That morning, she woke up determined.  She showered, ate a cup of yogurt, then picked up her phone.  Her hands shook a little as she dialed the number.  The phone rang once, twice, three times… she sighed in dismay even as she heard a click and the familiar voice, “Hello.”

“Camron!  Please don’t hang up!” she begged.  “Look, I know I screwed up.  I want to try to fix things.  Would you like to come over?”

 

There was a heavy pause.  “Alright.  Give me about an hour, then I’ll be over, ok?”

Mulan paced around her lot, feeling nervous, hoping he’d show up.  When she saw him, she approached him tentatively.  “Hi…”

“Hi yourself,” he returned.  She was glad to see there was at least a small smile on his face, even if he looked a bit guarded.

1.01: Welcome to Willow Creek

What happens when one is raised by two medieval history fanatics?  A lot of things, really.  Especially when those two fanatics tend to delight in bringing up all the famous warriors-male and female- in their family tree.  Of course, if half of what they say is true, their family tree is quite diverse and most likely impossible…

But be that as it may, they instill a sense of pride in their only offspring.  That offspring grew into a fairly self-assured young woman, but with an almost unhealthy obsession with the past, specifically with the heroes and- in particular- the heroines of history.  After all, being named after a nearly mythical female figure of Chinese history might make one fairly curious.

This is Mulan Rampart.

 

As much as she loved her parents, when it was time for her to leave home, she got as far away from them as it was possible to be.  But when one has their heads so far into the past, they don’t realize what living in the modern era entails.  So after spending most of the money her parents gave her to get to Willow Creek, Mulan arrived at the plot of land she’d purchased.  She’d thought for sure that the ad in the paper had said there was at least a small shack on the property… except, when she got there, there was nothing.  Just an empty lot.

 

Mulan rubbed a hand over the back of her neck.  “Well, this isn’t quite what I thought it would be…”

The voice: This is why you shouldn’t buy a home or land off a website like SimsList.

 The girl froze.  “Who said that?”  She whirled around, trying to find who the voice belonged to.

The voice: I did.  Don’t worry, you won’t find me there.  You can call me… Wolf.  Or Watcher, though Watcher is just too formal.

 “Wait… Watcher?  As in the one that supposedly controls all our lives?”

Wolf: In a manner of speaking, yeah.

“Huh… well, then.”  She pursed her lips.  “I mean, I’ve read enough about the Watcher to know that various cultures across the board have acknowledged your existence, but…”

Wolf: Don’t worry, you aren’t crazy.  Or at least not any crazier than any other Sim.  You guys are a bit nuts, after all.

 “Gee, thanks… So uh… why are you talking to me, exactly?”

Wolf: You have been chosen from among many different Sims.  Don’t ask why.  Then we’re really getting into fourth-wall territory and we’re already milking that pretty heavily now.  Suffice it to say that you’re just that lucky.

 “Joy…”

Wolf: You’ll get used to it.  Or you’ll go bat-mad crazy… either way, should be entertaining for me.

 That was met with absolute silence.

Wolf: *long sigh* That was a joke… really.

 “Why doesn’t that reassure me?”

Wolf: Because maybe you are the world’s first sensible Sim?

 “Can you at least make yourself useful?  What am I supposed to do about this?  It’s a field!”

Wolf: Well, if you don’t want to go through what little money ya got left, think ya should get a job first.

 “A job?  What kind of a job?”

Wolf: Well, according to my sources, you like to write, don’t ya?  Here’s someone asking for a Writing Assistant.  Says here that you get a free computer out of the deal on your first day.

 “Free computer?  Sold!”

The girl brought out the cell phone that her parents had agreed to keep paying for and dialed the number the voice gave her.  “Hello? Hi, my name is Mulan. Mulan Rampart.  You’re still looking for a writing assistant, right?  Uh huh, yup.  Oh, only that much?  Well, that’s fine.  I can start tomorrow.  Great!  See ya then!”

 

She hung up and then sighed.  “Seriously, only $25 an hour?”

Wolf: Beggars can’t be choosers, there dear.

 “Yeah, yeah.  Hm… so, now what?”

Wolf: Oh c’mon, I’m here to help, not do everything for you!

 “Yeesh, touchy… ok then.  Off to the library!”  Mulan sauntered off and after a short jaunt, soon found herself in front of the Willow Creek Library.

 

A huge smile lit her face.  Books were some of her favorite things in the whole world.  And the smell of old books, that mix of vanilla and slight acidity, ink and old leather.  It was heaven for her.  She pulled a book off the shelf, and sat down, letting out a satisfied sigh.

 

Several hours had gone by, though Mulan didn’t notice it.  Not until she felt a rumbling in her stomach.  She looked up.  “Hey, uh… Wolf, right?  What am I supposed to do for food?”

Wolf: There’s a bar, club-thing just down the street.  Go grab some of their chips for now.  I’m working on getting things set up at your home, sweet home.

She thought about it for a moment.  “Yeah, I’ll do that.  But first, need to check my email.  Since I won’t get this computer until I actually go to work, might as well use the computers here while I can, right?”  She didn’t wait for the voice to answer her.  She slid over to the empty computer next to her and booted up the machine.

 

A few people came and went as she hammered away on the keys.

Wolf: What are you actually working on, anyway?

 “Nothing much.  Just working off some writing prompts.  A bit rusty.  Haven’t written much in the last few months.  Need to get back into it.”

 

Wolf: Ok, then.  Hey, uh… see any guys you like by any chance?

“What?  Guys?  What are you talking about?”

Wolf: Oh nothing… Just thinking that you might want to keep an eye out.  Ya never know.  I’m not insinuating anything, really…

 “Ooo-k… I’m not going to ask,” Mulan decided.

Wolf: Probably for the best.

 Mulan was working on one of her prompts when someone took the vacant computer next to her.  She’d done a little bit of chatting during her time there so far, but had mostly kept to herself.  After all, even Sims found it odd when one talked to themselves.  And when she wasn’t talking to Wolf, she was talking to herself and grumbling about a verb or a subordinate clause every so often.  “Hi there.”

She looked up at the sound of the voice, blinking.  “Hi.  Sorry, was I being loud?”

The man who had sat down smiled at her.  “No, not at all.”  He offered his hand.  “I’m Camron, Camron Kirk.  I’m new in the area.”

 

“I’m Mulan, Mulan Rampart.  Nice to meet you Camron.  What brings you to Willow Creek?”

“Needed a change of scenery.  You?”

“The same.  Where are you staying?”

“With a few friends.  Temporary arrangements, though.  How about you?”

Mulan hesitated.  “I uh… I have my own place, actually.  It’s not much at the moment-“ More like it was a field, but he didn’t need to know that.  Wolf had said that she was taking care of that, right? “-but it’s home right now.”

“That’s great!”  He looked at his watch.  “Oh crap!  I gotta go!” He stood up.  “Hey, hope to see ya around?”

She grinned, one corner of her mouth going up in a goofy expression.  “Sure, yeah.”

He waved as he left.  Wolf: He seemed nice.  And he’s awfully cute too.

 The blush crept up Mulan’s cheeks before she could stop it.  “Oh, was he?  Hardly noticed.  He was nice, though.”  She went back to typing.

Wolf: Uh huh, sure you didn’t notice.  Weren’t you going to get food?

 “Oh yeah, that’s right!  I was, wasn’t I?”  She stood up and shoved her seat under the table.  She went out the library door then stopped.  Her eyes lit up when she saw a now familiar figure standing outside of the bar.  “Camron?”

He turned.  He had changed, it seemed.  Mulan couldn’t help but think about how good he looked in that cowboy hat.

 

“Hey there!  Fancy meeting you here.  Decided to go out on the town?”

Mulan wasn’t about to admit that she had no other way to eat, so she just laughed.  “Yeah, thought I’d see what the town has to offer.”

Camron smiled at her.  “Well, I have to go meet my friend.  Maybe I’ll see you inside?”

“Sure!”  Mulan winced as he turned away, hoping she didn’t sound overly eager.  She made her own escape inside where the noise and the smell of slightly stale beer and cheap bar food washed over her.  She managed to snag a seat at the bar and ordered a thing of chips right away, seeing as how that was the cheapest thing there.  As she nibbled on them, the guy next to her leaned over a bit.

“Well, aren’t you a breath of fresh air,” he murmured, his voice a soft purr.  “I’m J.  You are?”

Mulan wasn’t completely naïve.  She knew a line when she heard it.  Still, he was cute, in a debonair, but slightly unreliable way.  Couldn’t hurt to talk with him and it’s not like she had many friends in Willow Creek.  “I’m Mulan.  Mulan Rampart.  Nice to meet you, J.”

 

Someone called his name and he turned away.  Mulan shrugged and finished eating her chips.  She really hoped that Wolf was as good as her word.  Deciding that she’d give her a bit more time, Mulan wandered out to the outer room where someone was playing some blues on the piano.  She suddenly found herself between two male figures.  J and Camron!

 

Camron waved at her.  “She’s pretty good, isn’t she?” he mentioned, indicating the singer/pianist.

Mulan grinned.  “She is!”

J butted in a bit.  “You like the blues, Mulan?”

“Yeah, mostly,” she conceded.  She didn’t miss the look he was giving Camron.  And she couldn’t stop the blush as it warmed her cheeks.  But just as before, J’s name got called and he wandered off, leaving her with Camron.  It didn’t seem to bother Camron one little bit, since he’d been giving J a look of his own.

“Wanna have a seat?”

“Sure.”  Mulan tried a nonchalant shrug, but she noticed the pitter-patter of her heart as she took a seat at the table with Camron.

“How were the chips?” he asked her.

She looked surprised.  Then she laughed.  “A bit stale and certainly over-salted but not bad over-all.”

 

He laughed.  “Yeah, well… this isn’t exactly fine cuisine, ya know?”

“No, it certainly isn’t.  You like to cook?”

He nodded.  “Yes, I do.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, I’m a chef, or training to be one, anyway.”  He grimaced.  “At the moment, I’m a dishwasher.  But gotta start somewhere, right?”

That started their conversation done a fairly creative vein with Mulan telling him that she hoped to become a published author someday.  Before she knew it, hours had gone by.  She almost jumped out of her seat when Wolf’s voice was suddenly filling her head.

Wolf: Ho, ho!  What’s this?  You look like you’re having a good time.  Mulan had all she could do to keep the blush to a minimum.

“You scared me half to death,” she muttered under her breath.

Wolf: Uh huh.  Don’t worry, that’s not a death in this g- You’ll be fine.  Oh what’s this?  What kind of look is Camron giving to J there?

 

“What are you talking about?” Mulan muttered.  It was good that the music was fairly loud so Camron didn’t hear her essentially talking to herself.

Wolf: Oh, I think you know.  Anyway, you must be exhausted.  If you can pull yourself away from those two handsome men… your little field is no longer empty!

 Mulan stood up, stretching and trying to stifle a yawn.  “It’s been great talking to you, Camron.  I should get home, get to bed.  Gotta work in the morning.”

He looked disappointed, but he covered it up with a grin.  “Of course.  I’ll talk to you later?  Maybe we can hang out again sometime?”

Mulan grinned, ridiculously happy that he wanted to see her again.  Thinking that Wolf had given her at least a half-way decent domicile, she nodded.  “You bet!”  She sauntered off, waving.  And he couldn’t keep his eyes off her.

 

On the way home, Mulan couldn’t stop humming happily to herself.  But it abruptly stopped and she let out a shriek.  “WOLF!  What is this!?  Where’s my house?!”

As Promised

I promised you guys a link when I started my Sims 4 legacy blog.  Here it is!  The first post is live!  Be aware that it probably won’t be very fast moving for the moment until I get a bit more time and all that, but I did have a bit of playing time in before so might have a few entries up in the next few days, but it isn’t my top priority.

Cornerstone: The Rampart Legacy

Hope you guys enjoy this and don’t forget the Wyverns!  They will return!

 

Announcement: QotD going on Hiatus

Hey guys, I really want to apologize for the delay in having a post.  There are a number of things that are going on right now that has contributed to this delay.  I hate to do this, but for now, I am going to put QotD on hiatus.  I have not forgotten this and I WILL continue, but right now, I’m concentrating on doing Nano Prep as well as a few things in real life that have cropped up.

One of those things is that I am having a very hard time concentrating on anything.  Even Nano Prep is going ridiculously slow.  The other issue I’m running into is that my legacy file is running sooo slowly and with not enough time to begin with, it’s hard to boot up the game for any length of time and get some play time in.

I have also acquired a copy of Sims 4.  I’m enjoying it for the simple reason that it runs sooo smoothly on the computer without lag, with very few glitches.  I am currently doing a Legacy Challenge.  I might do a blog on that family, but since it’s nothing but gameplay, there is basically no prep time at all for it, so might use it as a kind of stress relief writing in between Nano and trying to get a post up for QotD.  So be on the lookout for that, but it probably won’t be any time soon.  Again, I am NOT abandoning this, just taking a bit of a break.  I really love this story, these characters, and of course, the collaboration with Ivane and the Chronicles of Clarke.  So take heart, this is not the end!  I promise.

Celestia says hi!

Just keep on the lookout for the QotD return!  Who knows, I might actually get ambitious one of these days and get a real update out, but I wanted to let you guys know that if I don’t, the story WILL return!